Raven Bullet
by MJimenez
Summary: In a chaos-filled world, it's best to not let the revenge cloud your head. Humanoids. An Empire. A Specialized School: a team. A girl solely set on avenging her sister's death. A girl who doesn't know how to fall in love. "It was a different kind of adrenaline." Alternate Universe-OOC Copr.;2014 M.Jimenez
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**AN: So, this is the start of a story that I've been writing. Most of the original characters have different names, but I changed them to fit the Twilight fanfiction world, to an extent. **

**I'll be updating as much as possible, but I am a junior in high school, and I have driver's ed and a job...I'm a bit busy most of the time. **

**It's a good thing that I already have 30 chapters written and ready to go :) Please REVIEW! I don't have money for an editor so I really need your thoughts! Good and bad! (Though i would prefer good, bad, and NOT mean.)**

* * *

><p>Six hours ago I had run away from home, after years of constant disagreement. Now at 18 years old I clutched my Glock 21 pistol inside the walls of the future- The United States Academy of Humanoid Defense. Ever since I hit the double digits I've dreamed of this moment: to carry on the legacy my sister had left, and to become a Class-X Henbane shooter.<p>

"Ms. Swan." In front of me stood Sergeant Reid, headmaster of the USAHD, and my sister Iris' old professor. "Your partner for the evaluation exam will be Mr. Cullen. He will only assist you when, and if, he deems necessary." He gestured to the young man who stood beside him, eyes hard and steady. I nodded in acknowledgment, and at the same time, I took his inventory. He seemed to be in his late teens, having a pair of deep green eyes, and a dark rusty luster of hair. His toned but undeniable muscles were softened by the light tan of skin, only to be adorned by the sudden further narrowing of his eyes.

A throat cleared. "You have five minutes to get comfortable with each other. Clock starts now." Sergeant Reid pressed a button on his wristwatch, activating the countdown. He left the two of us in the middle of the school arena. I turned back to my temporary partner who looked as if he'd rather be any place but here. My eyes drifted from his face to the uniform he sported.

"Edward…Cullen." I murmured to myself as I read the pinned tag on his blazer. "21 years old. Class...S?" I looked up at him in question. His brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Class-S, the second highest tier of students at the Academy. Now, who the hell are you?" he spited.

I pointed to the name tag attached to my blouse. With a grin I recited, "Isabella Marie Swan. 18 years old, class undetermined... for now." A smirk pulled across my face.

"Yeah? Well good luck with that, kid." Edward turned to the judges' quad, where Sergeant Reid was chatting with the other evaluators. "We're ready!" Edward called out and looked back at me. "I hope for your sake, that you don't come out with more than a broken arm."

Before I could even respond, even process his twisted form of a "good luck," the floor began to vibrate as steel bars were automatically lifted across the room from me, releasing the enemy; everyone's nightmare.

A humanoid.

A shrill noise then sounded. Above me, a giant board that seemed to be connected to Sergeant's watch stopped its ticking. _I still had 2 minutes left, _I thought in discontent. The timer seemed to reset itself, starting again at "00:00.00" The arena was suddenly silent in anticipation, until heavy foot falls were heard. With each passing second the steps touching the ground became louder and somehow more agitated.

She was slow at first, but then, like lightening, she charged from the now opened cage in my direction. Having anticipated the inhuman speed, I ducked and rolled to the side. I stood just as she turned to face me and my heart began to pump with familiar adrenaline- excitement. I felt a grin curl my lips, and my fingers grasp my gun. But when I took a step forward, everything I had planned for turned to dust.

Though Edward was quick to react towards the droid, which was now running the stretch between us, he had made a wrong move. With his feet planted firmly on the ground and his gun held straight in front of him, he pressed the trigger, sounding the first shot. My eyes followed the path of the bullet, already knowing the outcome.

_ Miss._

The bullet stunned the wall behind it and the humanoid must've sensed the threat as her eyes flashed red signaling its high gear. I took another step forward, initiating my Plan B, when, again, my so-called _partner_ ruined everything. With the enemy right at his heels he surged forward with a grunt and pushed me back, effectively knocking us both down.

It was in that state that I looked around us and noticed that there were hundreds of students watching fitfully, our battle.

"Shit!" I snapped out of my daze at Edward's pained groan as his eyes trailed down his right bicep. It was oozing blood. From above, the others saw the dilemma as well.

_ "We have to get him out!"_

_ "The kid has no chance on her own."_

Ignoring the useless comments, my mind spun, trying to devise a new plan. After what felt like a second of thinking, I was violently knocked back onto the ground. "Gah!" My hand reached up to rub my arm and my eyes squeezed closed before opening again, only to be greeted with an unpleasant sight.

Like my partner, my arm had also been slashed by the vile creature standing in front of me. I pushed myself from the floor and in utter annoyance I bashed the butt of my gun on her head and slammed the heel of my foot at her midsection, putting some distance between us. She got up quickly though, and her arms started swinging heavily at me. I swooped down sliding my leg beneath her feet, making her crash to the ground. I held her head underneath my foot and at the same time cocked my Glock.

With my gun aimed where a person's brain would lie, I murmured "Goodnight," and released the trigger.

_ Hyoscyamus_ niger, otherwise known as Henbane- a deadly plant that holds toxic alkaloids- for _humanoids_.

For people, the substance may cause hallucinations and even convulsions, but once its nectar reaches a humanoid's nanochip, its entire system freezes and fails. At this discovery, scientists worked with the government to produce and distribute weapons that contained the hopeful answer to the future around the globe. At the United States Academy of Humanoid Defense each student is required to own and be able to handle guns of all types that hold only Henbane bullets.

I waited. It took about 15 seconds for the Henbane to spread, and in this time the humanoid will shut down, attack once more, or send out signal waves to others of their kind nearby. Hearing violent rattling behind the barricades, I knew this one chose the latter. A minute passed and my anger rolled off my shoulders, dying along with the live metal I had destroyed. Then, something came back to me.

_ Edward Cullen._

Officials were walking to the scene and I rushed over to the other side of the arena where he lay, before I dropped to my knees beside his unconscious body.

"Edward!" I whisper-yelled. "Edward? Ed?" My forehead creased in worry. In all my life I've only maimed humanoids; never did I think I would be the cause of a stranger's death, especially not within less than an hour of acquaintance. "Hey, Ed?" My finger gently poked his bruised cheek. When no response came I went for his cheek once more but his hand shot up and caught my wrist.

"Don't ever call me that again. Ever." His eyes snapped open. Mine only blinked.

"Hey Ed, I was just worried that-" Suddenly he yanked me to my feet, the same harsh glare in his eyes as before.

"Now listen here you little brat-" I cringed away from his anger.

"I must say you are quite the one to impress, Ms. Swan." The pressure on my wrist immediately seceded at the sound of Sergeant Reid's aged, gravelly voice. I turned to Edward, who had his head bowed down. All around me, the students and administrators had done the same.

"What the-" I started, but my head was roughly pulled down by my ponytail, in a position mirroring everyone else's.

"Mr. Cullen, I kindly ask you to refrain from treating this young girl so harshly." My eyes looked up and under my lashes I could see Sergeant Reid watching Edward with disapproval.

"Yes sir," was Edward's firm reply. The old man chuckled lightly and nodded his head.

"All students rise." Quiet murmurs arose as everyone straightened up and awaited the next orders. "Today we have achieved a young, bright student by the name of Isabella Marie Swan. As most of you know, what you have just witnessed was her admission evaluation. The headmasters and I have, indeed, evaluated. As of June 20th, 2052, we welcome Ms. Swan to the United States Academy of Humanoid Defense, Class-X." Sergeant smiled proudly and rested his palm on my shoulder. "Congratulations," he whispered to me.

The room had settled in an uncomfortable silence, until the students erupted all at once.

I heard many comments as these people speculated me from above and around. Some were congratulatory, others were indifferent. Then there were those who shouted words of hate and disbelief. I, on the other hand, felt as if I had just conquered the world. I looked at the man who was now my headmaster and mentor, and a grin permanently lit my face.

Beside me I felt a pair of eyes staring through my head persistently. I couldn't tell if they were telling me to turn around or go away, but all I could think was,

_ I made it Iris._

* * *

><p><strong>So that was chapter one...I hope it treated you well<strong>

**Yes, Iris and Sergeant Reid are out of content characters...but they will be good characters, I promise you!**

**Review, please and thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Chapter 2! First things first, I would like to thank **Justheretoread9 **for being my first reviewer! It was a great start to this fanfiction for me, and I seriously appreciate it-Thank you. **

**So this is a kind of short chapter, mostly for filling in a few blanks and giving more information about this world. Review away!**

* * *

><p>A week after my evaluation and successful admittance, I found myself sitting in the office of Sergeant Reid. He had called me in a few minutes ago and I've been waiting ever since.<p>

His office was simple and well kept- a steel colored desk and black cushioned spinny chairs. There was a filled bookshelf standing in each of the two back corners of the room, and a chandelier lit the space brightly. A knock sounded on the door behind me, and Sergeant walked into my view.

"Ms. Swan." He nodded his head at me before taking a seat behind his desk. "I am sorry for the wait, so let's get down to business." My eyebrow quirked in curiosity and my hands smoothed down my pale skirt anxiously. "Your performance last week was remarkable upon myself and each judge. You have displayed quick thinking and lack of panic. Calculation was seen on your face when your plans were repeatedly challenged, but you kept your head straight, and were open to the change of plans. Most importantly you showed no hesitation in disposing of the humanoid you were put up against. Many students, even after years of practice tend to freeze up at the undeniable resemblance the creatures have with us." He smiled in approval, which I returned with one of my own. "Granted, the humanoids we keep here at the academy for these situations are sure to be toned down in aggression, I have not one doubt in my mind of your incredible ability that will only grow from here on out."

"Thank you. So much," I replied sincerely.

"I do have one question, though." I hummed in acknowledgement. "Where did you get your gun?" His eyes followed mine which flitted from his face to the weapon resting in my calf holster. I was about to reply when he answered his own curiosity.

"From what I can recall this _ancient_ 1992 _Glock_-" he shook his head in wonder and disbelief. "…belonged to a student. Deceased student number 258 who was eliminated by humanoid 3,201,995…Iris Grace_ Swan_."

Tears slightly burned my eyes, but I smiled in recognition.

"Iris…my sister wanted me to have this gun." I pulled it from my holster and held it reverently in my palm. "She said she trusted it with her life." I choked out.. "She died the one day- the _one_ day she wasn't prepared for a fight. It was in our own neighborhood for goodness sake!" Flowing freely now were the tears that I tried so hard to keep at bay. _It's been three years_, I berated myself. _Let go_.

"Isabella…" He spoke after a moment.

"It's Bella." I closed my eyes at the nickname my sister gifted me.

He cleared his throat. "Bella. Your sister's words are nothing short of the truth. This gun," he gestured to the chunk of metal on my lap. "is one of a kind. And you handled it almost as good as she did." The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. "And for this reason you've been chosen to succeed in Class-X, which I know Iris worked in as well. It's your decision now to pull out and be placed in a different Class, or otherwise you may forever hold your peace." He joked lightly.

I scoffed in return. "I wouldn't give this up for the world."

"I thought you would say that." He got up and held his hand down for me to grab. Gently, he pulled me in for a hug. "It's good seeing you again," he told me. "And I'm looking forward to working with you." When my sister was under his teaching, Sergeant would visit our family every so often right before one of Iris' missions. Back then I would just admire the two strong fighters and have my own dreams of fighting right beside them. "Everything will be fine. I'm sure your sister would be happy to see you following her footsteps, but also leaving your own trail." I nodded into his arm and a small smile briefly graced my face. When he pulled away he winked and left the office, leaving me to recount our emotional but brief conversation.

As I walked back to my dorm I observed the other students chatting and interacting with one another. In this school of over 5,000 people I only knew three. Sergeant Reid, my mentor for all intents and purposes, Edward Cullen, my evaluation exam partner, and Jacob Black, my insufferable roommate.

After my exam last week I had only seen Edward a handful of times, and each time was in the main cafeteria. More often than not I'd be in the middle of a bowlful of strawberry ice cream when he'd walk through the glass entrance doors and scarf down a meal. The amount of food on his plate combined with the little time it takes for him to eat it… it's insane. I even moved a couple tables closer to him just to make sure her was actually swallowing. How he keeps his body the way it is, is beyond me…

"Bella. Go to sleep." I was brought out of my daze by my roommate. Somehow, I already made it back to our dorm. Like me, Jacob is a Class-X student- only he is 2 years older. Jacob was assigned to be my partner by administrators. Then, they had explained to me the concept of partnership in this school: Every student is paired with another for each mission they are assigned. For new students like me, a permanent partner for the year would be given in order for that student to become comfortable with the customs of the academy. Also, in order to connect and form a positive companionship with your partner, the school administration matches both schedules, and the two are given the same dorm room.

"Mmhmm…" I hummed my reply. Jacob grumbled but watched me warily as I walked to the freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream.

"The hell? Ren. It's midnight and you're chowing on some ice cream?"

"Why, you want some?" I smiled and held out a clean spoon for him. He glared at the shiny piece of metal. "Suit yourself." I shrugged.

_ So stubborn_.

I scooped out a mouthful of the strawberry dessert. As I predicted, the chair beside me was pulled back and Jacob took a seat.

"Give me some." He reached his arm over and grabbed the spoon I attempted to give him seconds ago. I smirked at him before taking another bite.

"So tomorrow's your first day of classes, huh?" he conversed. The reminder of tomorrow wiped the smirk off my face and was replaced with a grin. "I take that as a yes. But just so you know, even though we're in the same classes, don't act like we're friends. 'Cause we're not." He dropped his spoon in the ice cream tub and pushed his seat back. "Go to sleep, Isabella." He told me again.

Every day since I came to the academy, he never failed to say those words to me.

I let out a sigh. When I looked back up, Jacob was already buried underneath his sheets and pillows on the couch, asleep. Quietly I stood from my chair and placed our spoons in the sink. The empty ice cream tub was thrown out.

After one last glance at my roommate's back, I went to my room and lay on my bed.

Suddenly, I remembered something important. Hastily, I got up and walked to the closet without turning on any lights. My eyes adjusted to the dark and spotted the knee-length cloak, fitted vest and skirt- my uniform. I yanked it from behind the other shirts and sweaters that crowded the small space and brought it to my desk. Inside the top drawer was my very own completed name tag and I pinned it onto the blazer.

_ Finally_, I thought. My uniform now read, "Isabella Marie Swan. 18 years old_. Class-X_."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 in the edits. Don't forget to review- it's the second best thing you can do for me, just behind enjoying my story :D <strong>

**If you want me to review/look at any of your work, I'll be happy to :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Chapter three, here we go! **

**Whoever's reading this, thank you :)**

* * *

><p>"Bella, go to sleep."<p>

Five thirty six in the morning and my first class starts at 8. I woke up at the crack of dawn, my body unable to stay unconscious through my excitement. My knees bounced relentlessly, even in their Indian-style position.

"I can't!" I replied. For half an hour I sat on the opposite end of the couch from where Jacob rested, in front of our plasma screen. In my lap was a fresh container of strawberry ice cream and my Glock. Beside me, Jacob groaned noisily and rolled off the couch, landing with a heavy "_thump_!" I shifted my torso in his direction, curious as to what he was doing.

"What are you doing?" I asked out loud. Throughout the week I learned two things about Jacob Black. One, he completely disregards the fact that he owns a big comfy bed and his own spacious bedroom, and instead prefers to sleep on the couch. Two, he is _not_ a morning person.

"Makin' breakfast." He grumbled.

I swallowed more ice cream. "Ok." I caught him rolling his eyes and I let out a snicker. "What are you making?"

"Food," He said. "For me."

A sigh escaped my lips at his rigorous aversion towards me. "I'm going to class," I told him. "See you there." He showed no acknowledgement to my announced departure, so with one last sigh I quickly changed into uniform and left our dorm.

Shortly after I destroyed the captive humanoid, I received my schedule from the administrators. As predetermined, my classes matched Jacob's period to period. Each class is 45 minutes, and first on the list was combat.

As I followed the directions given with my schedule I noticed that this is the first time I really got to admire the Academy. True, I had a week to settle in and grow comfortable with my new environment, but for those days I mostly arranged my bedroom, slept, and bickered with Jacob. Occasionally I would step outdoors for fresh air or visit the cafeteria.

Looking back now, I noted that I hadn't ventured the main school grounds where the students usually hung about in between and after classes. Knowing that now was the perfect opportunity; I stopped in my tracks and observed the sights surrounding me.

The pathway I've been using stretched far ahead, lined at the sides with small flowers you would find in a meadow. A light breeze rustled through my dark locks, similar to the way it seemed to weave gracefully between each blade of the vibrant green grass that covered the huge campus.

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the unpolluted clean atmosphere and continued forward. As I grew closer to the main grounds the amount of people went from sparse to abundant, the patches of friend groups seen almost as frequent as the patches of wonderful wildflowers spread about. The low murmur of voices became more pronounced as I passed by each cluster of students. And though I pushed forward without turning my head, I noticed them notice me. Just like the comments after my evaluation exam, there were those who were positive, indifferent, and unbelievably hostile.

Throughout my stay here at the Academy I gathered that the students took the "Class" system gravely. When I would pass by someone wearing the school uniform I tend to take notice of their name tags. Each person's designated Class is printed on in a fine engraving. What I gathered during the week I've been here for was that people from the same class gravitate to each other, as if each Class was its own magnet attracting their pieces of metal, being the students. Furthermore, I also found that those from the…less adapt Classes held certain bitterness against those from the higher Classes. In other words, the majority of students from Classes C, D, E, and F hate most of the students in Classes X, S, and A. It was an understandable situation, as ranks can be a debatable system to hold within an educational facility.

Because of this tryst, fights between the Classes occur almost every day, but particularly at night after school officials and teachers retired to their own rooms. These brawls happen right within the dorms, and accumulate more often in the Class-X division than any other. They would start with a lower Class kid leading a pack of sleepy students to our dorms, knock on a randomly chosen room, and then throw a punch or two. Whenever Jacob or I hear the barging on our door we would just look at each other and ignore the rising banter just 10 feet away.

After one kid started throwing rocks at our window, Jacob had let out an impatient groan and stepped outside after slamming his bedroom door shut, disturbed from his sleep. I remember following behind in concern. When I opened the front door I was met with the sight of my now wide awake roommate kneeing another guy in the stomach. In my irked half-asleep state, I had grabbed the guy's shirt from behind and threw him off Jacob, who I proceeded to grab by the ear and attempted to drag back indoors. However, just before I made it past the threshold my own shirt was roughly pulled forward as the enraged man towered over me, seething in anger and humiliation. His fist was raised, ready to totally gut me, but at the last second Jacob took the chance to send an uppercut to the guys chin.

Jacob then pulled me back into our dorm. In my dazed state of mind, I was barely able to find the wits to catch the tub of ice cream he tossed to me.

We shared the cold sweetness while listening to the commotion still occurring outside. No words were spoken and ever since that night, Jacob took it upon himself to abandon his bedroom and inhabit the couch to sleep on. I asked him if it was because of the almost break-in, but he claimed that he prefers the fact that the couch is closer to the kitchen and television compared to his old bedroom. I had narrowed my eyes at this and concluded on my own that he slept there to watch over us and the dorm.

I was brought out of my memories when I came across a flat but long building. A sign pointed to the structure, reading _Combat Room. _I opened the large double doors and my eyes immediately widened on their own accord. This "classroom," as it says on my map, would be better described as a large gym. Mats covered the floor and benches lined the premise. Small sections were cast off with weights and other various equipment. The middle of the room was simply a wide open space that separated itself from the rest of the floor with a slight elevation and boxing ring surrounding it in the shape of a square.

I took a glance down at my wrist. Glowing numbers appeared on the black watch, reading _7:30:32. _I still had half an hour until class officially begins.

"Good morning," a feminine voice said. "You must be Isabella."

"It's Bella." I corrected before turning around. "And yes, I'm a new student here." The woman was young- mid-twenties, possibly early thirties. Her light brown hair was twisted up in a tight bun and she bared a soft smile on her face.

"I've been told." She replied. "Before class starts, you can change into your combat uniform in the girl's locker room right over there." She pointed to a door across the gym.

"Thank you, Ms.…" I glanced at her name tag. "Ms. Vern." I gave her a quick smile before spinning around and heading to the locker room.

Inside were hundreds of lockers, each big enough to fit a standard backpack. They were also all labeled. After a moment of observation I learned that the lockers were separated by Class so I walked to the back where Class-X students were placed. I found mine nestled in the midst among others. The combination was on a sticker which I ripped off from the back of the lock after applying the code. When I opened the small door my eyes found a pile of clothes. In the pile was a black tank top with thick straps, capris cargo pants made of thick legging material, and a pair of black lace-up boots. Guessing these were the combat gear Ms. Vern was talking about, I swiftly pulled each article of clothing on and neatly folded my common uniform into a new pile. The black pants had a pocket which I slipped my phone into. The knees had thicker material in the shape of a "v." The area was heavily padded. The boots were pretty standard, but tall and comfortable enough to have my holster placed inside and around my calf. From my backpack I pulled out my .357 Magnum revolver and its attachable scope. I strapped them both inside my left boot. Seeming ready, I locked my locker and headed back into the gym.

When I walked out I saw that students were piling in the room and Ms. Vern was ordering them to sit on the benches against the wider wall across from the locker room. My pace quickened, not wanting to be the odd one out even though I kind of already was. My teeth chewed anxiously on my lip as I searched for a spot to sit, and when I located Jacob talking to a classmate, Ms. Vern's arm shot out and gripped mine. She turned back to the messy line of students and lifted her other hand to her mouth. With her fingers at her lips she let out an ear-piercing whistle which I had to yank my arm back for, in order to cover my ears from the shrieking sound. There were outbursts of squeals and cusses in between students, and finally Ms. Vern stopped and clapped her hands together.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope you had a pleasant weekend?" Grumbles came in response and Ms. Vern rolled her eyes at the obvious enthusiasm. "Well this weekend I had the pleasure of adding another student to my roster. I would like you all to welcome Ms. Isabella Swan to this class-"

I cut her off and whispered my preferred name in her ear in reminder. She smiled sheepishly before continuing her introductions. "I would like you to welcome Bella Swan to this class." She smiled warmly at me.

"Alright. I suggest you all sit down and pay attention now." Ms. Vern gently pushed me towards the benches. Taking the hint, I swiftly took a seat all the way at the end of the row.

"As of today we will have a new trainer who will work with us until further notice. I expect everyone to treat him as you would an authority, even though he is a fellow student. Mr. Cullen." She called out. A man came through the gym doors from outside and I could only see his silhouette. When he stepped into the room, recognition hit me and my eyebrows shot up.

_Edward Cullen. _

My mind piqued in interest as my eyes followed his stride until he stood beside Ms. Vern. She started to speak again but I didn't pay her mind as I tried to force Edward to look at me. While I was attempting my voodoo on him I couldn't help but notice that his bicep was still wrapped in medical bandages and the bruise on his cheek was fading into a yellowish pigment.

Suddenly all the students got up in unison and they scattered in different directions. Dumbfounded, I continued to sit on the floor with my eyebrows scrunched together, trying to figure out why I wasn't getting up myself.

A figure came into my peripheral and I turned my head its way.

Jacob was looking down at me and his face was formed in a way that I knew he was asking something along the lines of, "_Bella, what the hell?"_ I inhaled deeply before shaking the confusion out of my head. Stiffly, I stood up until I was straight and I blinked at Jacob. He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Come here." He whisper-yelled. I obediently did as he said. "Right now we're supposed to warming up. For duels." My eyes widened in surprise. I didn't think we'd get into actual combat so quickly. "We have 20 minutes. Come on." He took hold of my wrist and led me to a group of people working out with weights. I felt my posture and facial expression shift to one that was welcoming and friendly.

"Guys, this is Bella, my partner." Jacob introduced me to each of his friend's individually. They were all nice enough, and soon I found myself pulling weights next to a girl named Alice. She was also 18, and belonged to Class-A, the third highest ranking Class in USAHD. I set down my 20lbs dumbbell and watched as she repeatedly lifted hers, one in each hand.

"So…How long have you been here?" I asked. She glanced my way and without putting down her weights, she continued conversation.

"I came here in 2049…3 years."

"Which one here is your partner?"

She finally stopped her exercise before searching the room. She paused on one individual and pointed. I followed her pointer finger and landed on a girl with wavy blonde hair. Her skin was pale, but not sickly so. She was slender and tall, nowhere as tiny as Alice. Alice was a very small girl with dark ebony-like hair. You could almost call her adorable.

"That's Rosalie." She informed me.

"Hmm…"

"I like you." My head snapped back to look at Alice and her mouth was curved with a grin. In confusion I looked around before pointing to me.

"Are you talking to me?" I tried stifling the hope that began to bloom in my chest. For the 7 days I've spent here, I made not one friend. And I wasn't going to start falling for the false hope in making one.

"Who else?" she answered. "You were so cool last week, you know. You had people talking left and right about you and your expertise." She smirked.

"Tell me about it. I think half the school is either in love or in hate with you." I looked behind me at the new voice. I noticed that it was Alice's partner, Rosalie.

"What? No one even looks at me when I'm outside of my dorm." I told them. They both shrugged.

"Look at you or not, they definitely _talk_ about you." Rosalie said after a moment. I sat in silence, pondering what they were telling me when Ms. Vern whistled loudly again. The class halted movement and looked up at her.

"Okay. I think you're all ready for duels. Mr. Cullen, please choose the first pair." Ms. Vern took a step back as Edward came forward and started looking slowly at each face staring back at him. After a minute that felt like an eternity passed, I felt like I was drowning in everyone's tense anticipation. That is, until dark green eyes landed on my own. A smirk formed on his face and I saw the look of recognition pass his features.

_Damn_.

* * *

><p><strong>First of all, I would like to apologize for the characters that are new. <strong>

**If you didn't know, I wrote this story back in the summer, not intending to put it on fanfiction. Therefore, all of my characters had different names, except for the ones who have foreign names here. I couldn't think of characters from Twilight who would fit those in my story. I hope it doesn't hinder your reading experience :)**

**Whoever is still reading this, I love you ^.^ **

**Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Does anyone know how to indent the dialogue and paragraphs? I tried with the tab key and the space bar, but the edits aren't saving! **

**Here's one of my favorite quotes:**

**_How many times do I love thee, dear?_**

**_ Tell me how many thoughts there be_**

**_ In the atmosphere_** **_ Of a new-fall'n year,_**

**_Whose white and sable hours appear_**

**_The latest flake of Eternity:_** **_So many times do I love thee, dear._**

**_How many times do I love again?_**

**_ Tell me how many beads there are_**

**_ In a silver chain_**

**_Of evening rain,_** **_Unravell'd from the tumbling main,_**

**_ And threading the eye of a yellow star:_**

**_So many times do I love again._**

** -Thomas Lovell Beddoes**

**That aside, here's the fourth chapter! Thanks for reading :)**

* * *

><p>I stood over the poor guy who I just threw over my shoulder and onto the ground. A light sheen of sweat had formed on my forehead and I wiped it off unconsciously. This wasn't what I thought my first dual would be like. Really, Edward should have just chosen someone else…<p>

_Edward's eyes landed on mine and I was internally praying for him to just skim over my face and move on to the next person. Pride fought my instincts, as usual, and I met his gaze, daring him to call me out. He answered my taunt with his index finger, gesturing me to step in the ring. _

_Taking a deep breath I stood up and moved away from Rosalie and Alice, who were both snickering quietly. Murmurs arose among the class until Ms. Vern silenced them with the clearing of her throat. With one last glance behind me, I locked eyes with Jacob who had a small crease of worry on his forehead. I smiled at him and flashed a wink, trying to reassure him that this is what I live for. He seemed to catch my confidence and returned my wink with a thumb's up. I lifted the cord around the ring and ducked under it. When I stilled next to Edward, he nodded at me and turned back to the class. He trailed over the rest of the students before resting on a tall, lanky boy standing towards the back of the gym. _

"_You." He called out. The boy jutted his chin upward and pushed himself off the wall. Though he was slim, he did have a tight wrap of muscle on his arms and torso. I took quick inventory of him._

_He walked casually, with an air of confidence surrounding him, his dark eyes filling with adrenaline. He likes to fight._

_Lucky for him, so do I. _

_He entered the ring and gave me a once over. I waited until I saw the familiar look of an easy fight rest on his face: he was sure he wouldn't lose. I smirked at him and turned to the other corner of the ring. _

"Bella_. Eric. You fight until one of you stays on the ground for a complete 7 seconds. No fatal blows, no weapons apart from your body." Edward spoke off each rule loud enough for the class to hear. I started to zone off into my 'game mode' when he shouted, "Fight!" Edward waved his arm down between us as a signal to start._

_As I predicted, Eric began to charge at me. The ring was quite large so it gave me a few extra seconds to revise and perfect my strategy. When he reached me with his right arm raised halfway in the air, I found my opening. I slammed my foot into his torso and he stumbled backwards, giving me a chance to slide between his legs and appear at his back. Before he could process what I had just done I sharply jabbed my hand onto his back, causing him to fall forward with a surprised grunt. I let him get up, wondering if he had a fight in him. He cursed quietly before grabbing my waist roughly. My eyebrow quirked at his different antic. He started to lift me up, his thumbs digging into my sides unintentionally._

…_I think._

_With ease, I curled my knees up and placed my feet on his arms and grabbed his shoulders in my hands. I felt a strange pressure build up around my torso, but I waved it off, too absorbed in the fight. When I was at a 90-degree angle from the ground, I forced my legs down, applying the pressure of my weight on his arms. He couldn't do anything but let go as I tightened my fingers around his shoulders and with all my muscle I lifted him up and over me as I was brought back down to gravity. He launched into the air before landing heavily face first in front of me. While rubbing my wrists from having to throw him over me, I put one foot on his back and the class started the 7-second countdown._

_ "7, 6, 5…" One of my hands dropped down to my waist, which was feeling sore from Eric's harsh grip. I massaged it absent mindedly._

_ "2, 1, 0..!" The class started cheering, and I looked up to see Ms. Vern clapping her hands with a wide smile on her face. Alice and Rosalie were both hugging and jumping up and down together. Jacob grinned at me, which I returned proudly. Eric jerked before a groan sounded from his mouth…_

I looked at Eric who was still planted on the ground, and I lifted my foot off of him, and he rolled over. I offered him my hand which he took, and I pulled him up with a smile. He narrowed his eyes at me slightly, but after a second they softened, and he gave me a pat on the back saying, "Damn." He left it at that and walked back to the back of the room where his buddies started to berate him. I chuckled and glanced at movement to my left. Edward entered the ring and faced the class.

"Well…who's next?" He asked. Understanding, I walked in the direction of Alice, who was still giggling. "Where are you going?" I spun around to see Edward looking at me questioningly.

"Me?" I pointed to myself. He nodded and pointed to the spot next to him. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but I took my place at his side again.

"Who wants to dual Bella?" He asked again. Many faces looked unsure, and no hands rose up. I was about to walk off again to let someone else have a turn when Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "I guess I'll go." My eyes widened in shock. But I had no time to coherently respond because he already took off to the other side of the ring.

I shook my head and turned my 'game face' back on. I walked to my corner and Ms. Vern took Edward's role. She recited the rules over and flagged her arm down, saying "Fight!"

Like Eric, and every human and humanoid I've ever fought, Edward started charging at me just as expected. I spun and flung my leg out at his chest, halting his advancement. He quickly shook off the hit and took hold of both my arms and lifted them straight upwards.

That's when a flash of pain sparked at my sides. I didn't want to show any weakness though, so I slipped out of his grasp and subtly pressed one hand to my ribs. My distraction cost me an opening, and Edward tackled me to the ground and pinned down my wrists. The class began the countdown when I let out a shout of discomfort.

Edward instantly let go of my wrists, as if they were on fire. I crumpled onto my side, the throbbing pain never ceasing. It only seemed to become more pronounced as the class bustled in confusion. Edward was kneeling in front of me with Ms. Vern on the phone next to him. I could barely hear her over the commotion but I caught that she was speaking to the school nurse. I started drifting off from exhaustion and hurt until I felt my shirt being lifted up from my waist. I tried to sit up but someone was lightly holding the rest of my body down. I verbally protested, not really knowing what I was saying, but hearing my yells occasionally as I was poked and prodded at.

"It was him!" I recognized Jacob voice and I moved my head on its spot on the ground to catch a glimpse of what was going on. He was tightly holding the arm of Eric, who looked guilty and scared. Ms. Vern's legs blocked my field of vision, but I heard her tell Jacob to take Eric to Sergeant Reid. He followed her orders and roughly pulled Eric behind him and out the gym doors. Suddenly, I was being lifted from the ground. I looked up and was met with Edward's chin. He carried me bridal style through the pathway the class had cleared up.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded from him. He did a double take at my voice before looking down at me.

"Nurse. You got hurt pretty badly." He said. Too tired to question further, I let my head go limp against his shoulder and waited patiently for him to arrive at the nurse's building.

The walk took about 5 minutes and during the time I had dozed off in a light sleep and was woken when Edward put me down on a bed. He held an ice pack in his hand and pressed it against my injury. I winced at the cold feeling, but otherwise it felt soothing against the throbs.

"So what's the verdict?" I was now looking at the nurse. She was a plump middle aged lady with platinum colored hair.

"Hi, Sweetie. Nothing quite too serious. Your waist is inflamed due to lots of pressure. There will be some bruising within the next few days...and you fractured your ribs."

I pursed my lips and nodded. "How did this even happen?"

"Honestly Honey, I have no idea. It seems like you just have very fragile skin. From what I know, you were in a dual, yes?" I replied the affirmative. "Mmhmm. I'm not so surprised by the bruising, seeing as you are a small girl. But the swelling is something different. And this young man informed me that you threw another boy twice your size over your shoulder!" She chuckled, causing my eyebrows to furrow. " That extreme weight would give a young girl like you a fractured rib. You're lucky you didn't break it."

She walked over to a medicine cabinet and pulled out a pack of tablets. "Now don't you worry honey, you'll be fine in no time. But I want you to take one of these every 6 hours. While you were sleeping I scanned your ribs, so the healing process won't take so long. Stay out of classes until Wednesday."

_2 days._ I started to pout in protest.

"Don't you give me none of that pouting, sugar." She looked at me sternly before looking at Edward. "Alright. This is about all that can be done until the swelling stops. Take her back to her dorm safely, ok young man?"

"Yes ma'am." He slid his arm under my knees before I started protesting.

"I can walk!" He stared at me for a moment before sighing.

"Suit yourself." He stood up and waited for me to get up from the cot. As I straightened myself up I felt the same throbbing as earlier, but I didn't let the discomfort show on my face. As we got to the door, I looked behind me at the nurse and thanked her profusely for taking care of me. She smiled and blew me a kiss in return. I giggled at her sweet nature.

Edward held the door open for me and walked slightly in front of me as I didn't know my way around campus yet. For a few minutes we walked in silence until Edward cleared his throat.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked seriously. I immediately knew what he was referring to.

"It didn't seem serious at the time. I mean, who starts swelling just because they're held from their waist? At school!" I threw my hands up in frustration, causing a sting to surface. I winced.

"You know, you could get killed in a situation like that!" He stopped walking and turned to face me. "What if you were fighting a humanoid? Huh?! If you get hit hard enough it could cause internal bleeding and you wouldn't even know until you're lying on a hospital bed…much like today!" He towered over me, a mask of anger on his face. Harsh breathing followed his harsh words and I waited until he seemed more human to reply.

"I'm sorry, ok? It was an accident, damn!" My usually optimistic thoughts were clouded with offense and insult as he indirectly called me irresponsible and stupid. The one thing I couldn't take was jabs at my personality and actions.

He huffed in annoyance and continued leading me down the path to the Class-X dorms. "Which one-"

"One-oh-five." I cut him off.

When I spotted dorm 105-X, I sped up my legs until I reached the door. I lifted my hand up to knock, but it was suddenly pulled out of my reach as it was opened from the inside. I dropped my arm and waited until I saw Jacob's face behind the door. I have never been so happy to see him in all my time here. But I wanted to be as far away from this jerk who called himself Edward as soon as possible.

So without another look I stepped inside the door and closed it on his face. I threw my arms around Jacob, who only responded with another "What the hell?" before patting my head awkwardly. When we parted I flashed a smile and headed straight for the kitchen and threw open the freezer. My eyes searched for my favorite dessert and when I found it, I sighed in relief and rummaged the drawers for clean spoons.

When I came back to the living room I spotted Jacob sitting on the couch talking to…Edward.

"Hmph." I narrowed my eyes at the two who seemed to have not noticed my presence. Instead of joining their conversation, which was most likely about today's events, I sat at the kitchen table by myself and started digging into my ice cream. Soon enough, I was filled with so much strawberry goodness that I forgot about the spoon that I had placed next to me, leaving it to sit at Jacob's usual spot for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>If you spot any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me! <strong>

**P.S. don't hesitate to review :P **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**So, how is it so far? You still with me? **

**Here's Chapter Five!**

**Bella: 18 years**

**Edward: 21 years**

**Jacob: 20 years**

**Rosalie and Alice: 18 years **

**Sergeant Reid: mid-forties **

**Oh yeah! The characters that belong to Stephenie Meyer, belong to Stephenie Meyer. But the story and the characters that don't belong to Stephenie Meyer, belong to me. **

**Let the reading commence!**

* * *

><p>Wednesday morning I was up at 6 o'clock on the dot, excited to experience the rest of a school day in USAHD. The purple and blue bruises on my waist mostly faded to a pale yellow with the exception of a few tinted marks. The major pain dulled to a light throb every time I would bend down or stretch my arms. More importantly though, I was deemed well enough by Nurse Platt to start attending classes again. My ribs still hurt a bit, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.<p>

After dressing in my uniform, I headed to the kitchen and turned on the stove. Jacob had been unusually helpful for the past few days. He checked on me every few hours, reminding me to take my medicine. He even cooked dinner, or brought food from the cafeteria for me to eat. So in a subtle "thank you," I decided to make him breakfast this morning before combat training.

I cracked the eggs I prepared into a pan and waited patiently for the transparent liquid to become a solid white, with the yolk sitting in a rich yellow puddle. After I moved the sunny side up to a plate, I placed strips of bacon in the same pan, and watched as the meat sizzled and popped. The aroma was mouthwatering.

Cooking reminded me of the mornings Iris and I would wake up extra early to surprise our parents with a home cooked meal. It reminded me of that fateful day…

"Mmmm what's cooking?" Jacob was stretching his arms above his head as he blindly walked to the table and sat down in front of his plate. He opened his eyes and they fell on the eggs I just cooked, and he rubbed his palms together. "What brought this on? I thought you were going to the cafe as usual?" I walked over to the table with the plate of bacon in my hand.

"Just…thank you." Jacob paused and looked up at me for a bit.

"What for?"

"You know! I got hurt and you weren't being a jerk for once." I smirked at him while I poured us both some orange juice.

"Whatever. I was just doing as Sergeant told me."

"Pfft, okay." My eyes rolled at his stupid excuse.

We ate in silence after the quiet banter. When we both finished I snagged his plate and brought it to the sink. He looked to me in question as I glanced at my watch.

"It's seven fifteen. You should probably get ready." I eyed his pajama pants and shirtless self, proving my point. Jacob looked down at himself and dropped a curse before turning back to his bedroom and closing the door. I laughed at his amusing antics and continued washing our dishes. When everything was dried and put back in place I snuck in my room and grabbed my backpack from the floor. Before I left I called out, "See you soon!" as I do every morning, and headed out the door.

* * *

><p>It was half past 7 when I arrived to the gym and Ms. Vern was waiting for me outside the locker room.<p>

"Bella! How are you feeling?"

"I'm better now, thank you," I assured her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. Well, anyways, go get changed now- we have a lot to do today." She placed her hand on my back and led me into the locker room before closing the door to give me privacy. This time, there were girls already inside, and I unconsciously began searching for familiar faces. When I spotted one, my face brightened.

"Alice!" The little pixie girl turned around at her name and a grin broke out on her lips. She waved her hand enthusiastically.

"Bella!" Alice weaved through the half-naked bodies until she reached me. Abruptly, she pulled me into her arms in a tight hug. "What's up, how are you feeling?"

"Never better," I replied. Her smile only grew as she recounted the events of the day before.

"Oh, man you should have seen it! Jacob and Edward were totally ganging up on Eric, saying that he broke the 'no fatal blows' rule. I've never seen Eric lose his cool like that before. I bet he ran home crying after he had to speak with Sergeant! But he definitely deserved everything he got… I can't believe he grabbed you tight enough fracture your ribs!" I blushed. _Neither can I. _

As I listened to Alice's rant, I couldn't help but wonder if I should be grateful or irked at the fact that Jacob and Edward roughed up a fellow classmate for an innocent mistake. With a sigh, I decided to let it go…this time.

Combat training was much like Monday's class. Alice, Rosalie, and I warmed up together with weights and watched duels between the students. Thankfully I didn't get called on today. I did notice, however, the looks Edward kept shooting me throughout the class. The 45 minute period ended swiftly though, and Jacob walked me to our next class which was history.

Two periods after, Jacob brought me to what seemed like an extreme shooting range. The walls were made of concrete, but were painted black and there were targets all along the wall; each at different angles and distances. In the back room were moving targets in the form of humanoids. Jacob had informed me that the school's engineers were able to reprogram the machines to simply walk or run around within the one room. Anything more complex would be too risky.

Another room held all the weaponry. This turned out to be my favorite part. Our instructor Mr. Renshaw, who liked to be called by his nickname, Price, has everyone choose a gun they want to practice with for the semester. He explained that at the end of every month, each of us was required to showcase our skills attained with that gun. The only rule was that once we use one gun for the presentation, we are not allowed to use it again. Price asked if anyone had any questions. My hand shot up. He nodded my way.

"Can I use my personal gun?"

He seemed to ponder the question for a bit before giving me an answer.

"As you wish, Ms…."

"Bella."

He saluted me with two fingers, which I returned with an excited grin. The occupied holster on my calf suddenly felt like it was sending waves of electricity throughout my body. I was now charged with a new energy; ready to show everyone the result of my sister's teachings.

Since it was already the last full week of June, I had until December to prepare. This fact didn't worry me, as the Glock and myself worked as one machine.

Someone tapped on my shoulder.

It was Jacob.

"Come on." He nodded to the room with stationed targets. There were already a few people testing their skills but at the far end of the room was space big enough for the two of us. Jacob walked ahead of me, his coat swishing at his knees.

"You know how to use a gun, right?"

My head snapped up to look him in the eyes. My expression must have been one of disbelief as Jacob was quick to lift up his hands in apology.

"You're kidding, right?" I retorted mockingly. I took a step into his personal space, trying to intimidate him. I still had to look up to see his face though. My head only reached the top of his shoulders, and if I was staring straight ahead I would be met with his clavicles. He took a step back and reached into his coat pocket. In his hand was a small pistol, which he handed over to me.

I scoffed and dropped the standard weapon. At the same time, I lifted up my leg to slip out my Glock. I spun it around my finger as I walked to the white line drawn 20 feet away from the immobile target. There were several white lines; one at 10 feet, 20 feet, 50 feet, 70, and then finally one hundred and fifty. In order to be allowed to shoot from 50 feet, I have to be able to shoot a clean bull's eye to the brain from 20 feet. _Easy._

When Jacob caught up and stole a glance at my weapon, his jaw slackened.

Though the Glock 21 _was_ considered standard in the past and even now to some, mine definitely was _not. _

It's true that after Iris died I snuck away from home multiple times to have her prized possession modified and upgraded. I had connections with a "backdoor" mod expert who called himself Jenks. Every so often I would drop a call to have my guns polished up and enhanced.

Right now, what Jacob was staring at was a 1994 Glock 21 pistol with an extended gold barrel. The first attachment I had was the red laser inserted under the muzzle for better accuracy. Jenks had added a forward grip and small flashlight 2 years ago. My most recent mods were the silencer at the end of the barrel and a holo sight on top. The holographic reticle in the middle of the sight was a simple red circle with an "x" running through it.

I knew some of these additions to my small pistol were _impossible_. But Jenks is a top gun "hacker" and I pay him good cash whenever I need his services.

_ "You sure about this Bella?" Roman looked at me, a serious expression coating his features. _

_ "Do it." I gave him a hard look while I slid my gun back into his hands. After a few moments he seemed to surrender to my stubborn nature, knowing that I wouldn't back down when it came to my sister's last gift. _

_Three longs hours later I found myself handing Jenks an envelope of bills. Without a word I took back my freshly upgraded handgun and trailed back home. _

_The impossibly possible arrangement cost me over fifteen hundred dollars. _

I threw Jacob a smug smile. "Like what you see?" I waited for his answer while I opened my coat and exposed the filled bandoleer strapped across my body. I was taking bullets from the individual sockets to load in my mag when I heard Jacob choke out a cough.

"That's quite um… the gun you have there." His eyes were still wide. I could tell he was impressed.

"I know. Thanks." The same smug smile from before formed on my lips.

I continued loading my magazine and he continued to stare at the hardware clutched in my palm.

"How the hell did you get all _that_," he waved his hand over the attachments. "on to _that_?" He then pointed to the small gun itself.

"I have…connections." I winked and took off my coat. After I pushed the magazine back into place I flipped the gun so its muzzle faced the target 20 feet away. The life-sized board had red marks indicating the knees caps, heart, and brain. I went straight for the mark at the middle of the forehead. Without the laser flipped on, I gripped the handle with my trigger finger on the index point, otherwise known as the safe area above the trigger. I moved the gun until the holo met its target. Then, I pressed the button that would initiate the "lock on" system that came with the attachment. The holo immediately flashed white signaling that the system had activated. As if it had a mind, my gun stilled itself, resisting any shifts or movement that threatened a missed target.

I'm still partially unsure of how this process works, but Roman told me that in the front of the holo sight he inserted an "eye." Somehow he was able to connect the camera to a nano chip he put in the barrel of the Glock. The only reason why Jenks had the wits to come up with this impossible idea is because he used to be part of the_ empire_ of people who took part in the creation of the humanoid army. After his brother was killed by the things he helped assemble, Jenks escaped the empire's clutches, but only just so.

I breathed, releasing all tension from my fingertips. With the gun locked on, I released the safety and put pressure on the trigger.

The whole thing took all of 15 seconds and Jacob was still grumbling to himself when he heard the shot go off, and the bullet cleared its mark. I turned around beaming at him at the same time he lifted his head up.

"Jacob!" I smacked him on the back for missing my victory.

"What the hell, Bella!" He rubbed the sore spot under his shoulder.

I stuck my tongue out him. "Now watch me." I stepped behind the 150 feet line and repeated the process from before. As soon as I pressed the trigger I already knew that I hit what would be the brain. I laughed and pretended to blow smoke from the tip of the barrel. Jacob chuckled alongside me before gently shoving me out of the way.

"_This_ is how it's done, kiddo."

We took turns for the 20 minutes left of class, releasing shot after shot.

Break was next and the two of us automatically gravitated towards the cafeteria. Once inside, Jacob spotted the same group of friends from combat class, including Rosalie and Alice. We both took seats with them after getting our lunches from the buffet tables in the middle of the room. Alice scooted closer to Rose to make room for me. I set my grilled cheese and vanilla cake down in front of me and started scarfing down the much needed energy source. Alice looked at me in shock, and with a full mouth I asked, "What? Something on my face?" I took a napkin and padded down my face as I finished chewing my piece of sandwich. She shook her head and took a bite out of her salad. My lips pursed and I shrugged before finishing my meal.

When we all finished eating, we spent the rest of the period chatting amongst ourselves, mostly about nonsensical things.

Apparently each student was required to take two combat classes, which was what Jacob and I had up next. So, we packed up our stuff and threw away our garbage before moving on back to the gym.

Combat was much the same as this morning; time was spent having duels. Edward was present as the secondary trainer again but we shared no words with each other, aside from the duel rules since he chose me to go up against another girl from class. Like Collin, the girl ended up on her back with the breath knocked out her lungs. I grinned in triumph to Ms. Vern and my friends before leaning down to help my classmate up.

After a few more rounds between other students, Jacob informed me about the class we had next.

"We have missions for the rest of the day." We were walking to one of the huge black buildings in the middle of campus. Jacob said it was kind of like a headquarters of sorts.

"Missions?"

"Yeah. We go out and fight groups of humanoids that the Academy either spots, or gets calls about. We usually get calls from other people, though the Academy does have cameras set up in every state and major city, patrolling the streets. If there isn't a mission to go on, they make us go through simulations to make sure we're always practicing and ready."

I nodded my head in silence as I pondered the thought of going on a mission.

Before I came to the Academy, I took jobs from people and helped them dispose of humanoids they've caught loitering the area. Technically what I was doing was illegal because destroying stray humanoids is a government appointed job. But I needed the money not only for Iris' gun, but to make running away to this school possible. And each job paid _a lot _of money.

The missions Jacob was telling me about sounded a lot like my "job," but I couldn't help but feel that at the same time it would be so much different.

"Hey." He stopped in front of me and waved a hand in my face. "You ok?"

"Perfect."

He looked at me suspiciously for a second before going back to leading the way. As we neared the building, tall posts and walls surrounding it became visible. At each post, stood one or two armed guards. The place seemed so detached from the rest of the campus, in its dark and serious stature. We were stopped in front of a gate and one of the guards asked me and Jacob to show our school I.D.'s. We took them out and handed them to the officer. He looked at them both briefly, and when he trusted that the both of us belonged to the school, he passed them back and punched in a code that opened the gate. I breathed in and out slowly, calming my nerves a bit before making my way into the building.

* * *

><p><strong>Action coming soon! <strong>

**Any questions? Do ask!**

**As always, thanks for reading ^.^**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**AN: Hi :) **

* * *

><p>When Jacob said that this place was a headquarters <em>of sorts<em>, he was wrong. This place is most definitely a headquarters. If the techy computers, large screens, and overload of guards didn't prove that fact, nothing would. The inside of the building was bustling with not only authority and officers, but students as well. There was one wall covered in screens, each flipping to different environments rapidly. There were many rooms and specialized areas on the dozens of floors. So far I saw that there are interrogation rooms, and even a few containment cells next to them. My eyes roamed around more, and I read a sign that pointed to the ammunition room, explosives room, and armory. But most of the place was filled with computers and projectors.

"This way." Jacob forced me out of my awe struck gaze at the new environment and walked to a staircase. The sign above read that the second floor was used as the mission stimulation and information location. I followed close behind because I did _not_ want to get lost in a building that had a _room full_ of explosives. When we reached the top of the stairs there was already a group of students clustered together listening to the instructions a man was giving. The man noticed our approached and looked up from his lecture.

"Sergeant Reid?" I was pleasantly surprised to see the familiar face again.

"Bella, Jacob. Come join us." Sergeant waved us over. "We were just discussing a disturbance in an area about 30 miles south from here in D.C. A group of what looks like 8 to 10 humanoid have gatecrashed the state and seem to be following the coast." He turned back to address the whole group. "We're going to need at least two pairs to head out tonight. Who's up?" He crossed his arms across his chest and waited for someone to speak up.

"We'll go."

Jacob looked down at me in shock, doing a double take.

"What?" His face scrunched up into one full of unpleasant feelings.

"I want to help. With or without you."

"What are you thinking?" This time someone else spoke up and Jacob and I looked to see who it was. "You're not thinking again, Bella." My eyes snapped to the molten emerald of Edward's, but my face remained unimpressed.

"What? They need people and I'm willing to go," I argued.

"Bella, you've never even went up against one of these things before!" Edward pushed through the crowd until he stood a foot away.

I gave him a hard stare and lifted my eyebrow.

He groaned lowly before replying, "The evaluation test barely counts! Humanoids, _real _humanoids, are so much _more_."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. I _have_ fought against them before."

Admitting this fact inside the walls of the Academy's headquarters where dozens of guards and officials were present scouting around- not to mention right in front of Sergeant Reid- probably wasn't the best idea. But I absolutely _loathed_ being underestimated.

There was a moment of silence before Jacob shook his head, causing the dark ebony of his hair swish around. "Wait. _What_?" He was rubbing his hands down his face with a frown. The sight would have had me laughing if I wasn't so irritated.

"I've fought and destroyed real, wild humanoids before. Since I was thirteen." On the outside I put on a calm and serious face, but really, I was scared out of my mind at the way Sergeant was speculating me. _I really should have just kept my mouth shut. _

"What do you mean you've 'fought and destroyed' real humanoids? And what do you mean since you were_ thirteen_?" Jacob looked like he could just explode from confusion.

If that were possible.

I looked to my side at Sergeant Reid who had mask of no emotion on his face. He waved for me to continue.

Breathing out a sigh, I told them about the past jobs I've taken; how I've fought the droids solo. I'm pretty sure the rest of the group was eavesdropping, but I didn't care. _If I can survive telling Sergeant, I can tell anyone._

By the end of my confession, Jacob seemed to have calmed down. Edward continued to stare a burning hole into my head, and Sergeant Reid looked conflicted. _Great_.

He spoke after a minute.

"So, you're telling _me_, that you took _illegal_ jobs from complete _strangers_, and _illegally_ disposed of humanoids by _yourself_?_ Illegally_?" He looked me dead in the eye. Nervously, I scratched the back of my neck and confirmed.

"Bad ass," I heard Jacob muse in a whisper. At this, Edward muttered some angry words and stalked to the back of the room to lean on the wall, but he continued to watch me, though this time, with a needle-point stare.

Suddenly, an alarm started ringing.

Sergeant immediately straightened up and pressed a button from behind one of the desks in the room.

"USAHD's Sergeant Mason Reid." He listened to the other end for a moment while the rest of us waited intently. I took this interruption as time to think up an excuse for my illegal actions.

"Right now? How many do you need…Ok. We'll get them out as soon as possible." He released the button and turned to us with a stern expression.

His eyes promptly sought out mine, and right before I was about to spit out my lame excuse for my unauthorized conduct, he said, Bella, Jacob. You're up."

My mouth closed and I turned around to see Jacob get up without question. His eyes were set to the front, his lips formed in a grim line. I walked forward to where Sergeant waited. He nodded his head to me. "Emmett and Edward. Let's go." My eyes sparked in interest as I've never seen Edward fight since Monday. I've never even seen a gun in his hand.

Emmett, who I guessed was his partner, was a tall muscular guy. He had short, dark hair and a wide jaw. Broad shoulders and toned arms showed through his tight shirt. Already, I could tell that he sported healthy abs. His size seemed acceptable. I just hoped he worked well with a loaded gun.

Sergeant Reid dismissed the class in a hurry and took us to an elevator. Once inside he pressed a button that said 'UG,' and we began descending through multiple floors

The elevator came to an abrupt stop and Sergeant stepped off the pad, and then took one of the many walkie talkies from the wall just outside.

"I need some personnel down here pronto. We have a gatecrash approximately 25 miles away. 24. 23- They are rapidly closing in on the city. Inform everyone to stay indoors until further notice; we need to get out there in T minus 9 minutes!" He tossed the walkie talkie to us, and Edward caught the device in surprise. I lifted my brow at him and he only shrugged, just as confused as I was.

Sergeant Reid kept walking hastily through the tunnels and halls. The four of us followed behind quietly. A large room appeared less than 5 minutes later. It was dark; only lighted by two stadium lights in the back corners. Inside were at least a dozen expensive looking cars and motorcycles. One of the personnel in the room prompted to punch a code into a pad on the wall.

The room quickly brightened as the steel doors in the front opened vertically. A gust of wind made my eyes close and my hair whipped behind me. When I could finally reopen my eyes, they instantly became the size of saucers.

Waiting in front of the steel doors was a helicopter hovering a few feet above the ground. I looked around me and saw that no one else seemed to be surprised by the site so I blinked and pressed my lips together.

Suddenly, a hand appeared before me and I focused on what it was holding. It looked like a hard, compact backpack with a lot of straps. I took it and looked at the owner of the hand in puzzlement.

"It's a parachute." Edward dumped the thing into my hands.

I was still dumbfounded when I felt someone take the pack from my fingers and adjust all the straps to my body. I forced my eyes downwards and saw Jacob's flop of night hair. He was tightening one of the straps that went over my shoulder. Without saying anything he grabbed something from the ground and put it on my head. I looked up now, and caught sight of the black helmet that he clicked into place. He bent down to look me in the eyes.

"Ready, kid?"

I took a breath and nodded my head. "Yes sir." A small smile came upon my face.

"Good." He stood back up and slapped the side of my helmet before jogging over to where Sergeant, Emmett, and Edward were standing. I ran after him and caught the end of a tense conversation.

"The group of them is planning to come to the city. Under no circumstances is that allowed to happen, do you hear me? You must stop them before they reach the district lines. That gives you about 5 miles of open area. Stay away from neighborhoods and people though. Go out there and do your job." The boys nodded and saluted. They then turned and climbed a ladder at the bottom of the helicopter.

I looked back at Sergeant anxiously. _Calm down_, I scolded._ You've done this before._

_Except you didn't use parachutes or helicopters. _

Sergeant rested his hands on my shoulders. "Bella, you need to clear your head. It's your turn to show Iris what you came here for. Carry on her legacy, with one of your own." He nodded at me and placed two fingers on his forehead in salute.

A breath I didn't know I was holding slipped through my lips, and I suddenly felt calm. I felt the state of my mind almost flip. My game had begun.

With a short nod I turned around and ran for the helicopter waiting for me. As I got to the top of the ladder, Jacob and Emmett's hands reached down and grabbed my arms to give me a boost up. I curled my legs to my chest and rested them on the ground as soon as I got into the aircraft. The two boys kept their hold on my arms as they walked me to the seat in the middle. They sat on either side of me and Edward appeared to fasten my seat belts quickly before sitting in the co-pilot's chair. The pilot closed the doors and put on his headset before talking loudly.

"Sergeant, we're ready." He turned to each of us putting his thumbs up, which we returned. "Alright let's do this." He rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Take off in T minus 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

The helicopter suddenly shot upwards before flying smoothly forward. My hands clutched the sides of my seat, turning my knuckles white. Strands of hair blocked my vision and whipped my face.

Edward looked behind his seat to the three of us. "Our plan is for each of us to take down at least 2 of them within 3 hours. If you see one of us struggling, DO _NOT_ move from your targets. Not until they are safely immobilized and cleared." He stared at each of us intently and then continued. Bella, Jacob, and I will go to the ground first and take our targets away from their group. We want them separated so they won't attack one of the others. Emmett, you snipe the remaining targets before hitting the ground with us."

At this, my eyes slightly widened on their own accord. Humanoids are impossibly fast, so it takes a great amount of precision and precognition to snipe at one successfully. I've tried my hand at it, and I don't suck, but I'm not necessarily talented with it either.

In my peripheral I saw Emmett nod his head. _Maybe he's good with guns after all._

"Alright kids. It's go time." The pilot opened the doors and we were all hit by the strong winds from the propellers.

"We're about 3 miles away from the group of humanoids right now. When you guys reach the ground it'll be almost an immediate face-off. It's a good thing you got the sniper here with you to help pick them off if needed." As he talked, the four of us unstrapped and pulled on goggles. Emmett slowly inched towards the back of the copter to retrieve his sniper rifle and its stand. He set up his position at the other door, lying flat on his stomach.

"Ladies first?" I turned to Jacob who gestured his hand out the door. I could tell that he had the nerves in his system. So, to appease and put him back on _his_ game, I faced my back to the door and stretched my arms to the side before freefalling backwards out the helicopter.

The rush of air below me resisted my body weight, but it was a futile attempt. Using gravity to my advantage, I swung my legs straight up and locked my elbows, pointing to the ground.

I couldn't tell if Edward or Jacob fell out yet, but I was getting close to the terrain. I unlocked my right arm and bent it to reach the strap on my shoulder that contained the string that would release the parachute from my back.

Once I could clearly see an opening through the clouds, I swiftly pulled down the string.

Almost immediately, I could feel the parachute pull me a few feet back up higher into the air before sailing down.

I saw a figure below me. Soon it became 2. Not even a minute later I swore that there were at least 10.

When I recognized what these figures were, a rush of anxiety threatened to flood my body, but I forced it away with one thought.

_You with me, Iris?_

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter in a few days? <strong>

**What do you think? What do you suspect is gonna happen next? Review! **

**Stay ever lovely, people of the universe ^.^**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Good morning! **

**I had a two hour delay today due to "inclement weather"- it's completely dry outside -_- Oh well, I'm not complaining for getting an extra hour of sleep.**

**Oooo, first missions are always the most exciting...for now ;)**

**Don't forget to review!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Carry on her legacy." <em>Sergeant's words came back to me just as I touched the earth. With his voice in my head I unclipped the deflated parachute from my pack, which I disposed of under a bush.

Under my coat were my dual-holsters and two bandoleers in the form of an "x" across my back and torso. Quickly, I took out my .357 magnum revolver and began to set the ACOG scope I had Jenks put on it.

Out of nowhere, a bullet lunged into the dirt inches from my boot clad foot. Lying on the ground next to it, was a "male" humanoid, with its left arm cleanly cut off. I looked up into the sky with my hand shielding my eyes from the sun.

The helicopter was far up, but I could make out someone waving their arm down at me from the open door. I guessed that it was Emmett who took the shot at the robot creature. I had to remember to thank him after we got out of this. It was then that I realized that I saw no figures falling through the sky. _Where are they?_

Coming back to game, I pointed my revolver to the struggling chunk of metal at my feet. I whispered "goodnight" as usual, before taking the deadly shot. The shell from the bullet fell out and I turned the cylinder for the next bullet.

Several more shots were fired from the copter , dropping four more humanoids. I took that as a signal to run. I whipped my head back as soon as I had the chance to look behind me. Right on my trail was three more of them, their eyes flashing red. _I'm not ready! _I still had to adjust the scope on the revolver and add a few more of its attachments. _Why did I decide to polish everything last night!_

I kept running and shoved my hand into my pocket, feeling for the blade I kept. When my fingers found the sharp edge, the hand holding my gun flipped over the opening at the bottom of the handle and I slid the blade in until I felt it 'click' into place. Once it did, I searched my pockets again; this time for the silencer. I finally got to pull it out, but in my haste it slipped through my fingers and I silently cursed before turning around for it.

I spotted the grey barrel next to the trunk of a tree, but there were too many dangers presenting themselves. There were now at least 6 humanoids in front of me, getting ready to pounce.

My mind raced for an easy way out.

The game came back to me less than a second later and I dropped my Magnum back into its holster switching it out for my Glock. Instantaneously I pulled back the barrel and it snapped into place, ready to be released. Lifting up the holo at arm's length from my left eye, I steadied the gun until I found a clear path. I activated the 'lock on' system and fired. The humanoid closest to me immediately stilled and crumpled to the ground. I let out a sigh of relief.

In that second that my guard was down, one of the humanoids kicked the Glock out of my hands. _Ouch. _I grimaced. In bitterness, I kicked the enemy between the legs but it didn't seem to have the same profound effect it would have if it were a human male. Instead, it made my ankle throb quite a bit, and I cursed at my stupidity.

Another one of them crashed into my side, dropping me to the ground. This time, I cursed out loud.

"Damn it!" I arched my back to free my left arm and proceeded to hit the thing on top of me across the head. It rolled off onto its back and I put my hand into my boot.

Inside each boot, I put grenades that Jenks specially made for me. They are one of a kind; no one else in the government or the entire world had anything like this. Like our bullets, the grenades were filled to the brim with henbane. Such amounts of the poison are prohibited to be used in one weapon as the government is trying to conserve as much henbane as possible. As usual though, Roman was glorious and owned a private supply of tons of henbane. He could only give me the grenades a few times a year though, since his supply of the plant wouldn't last forever either.

I tore the pin from the top of the explosive and dropped to my knees to force the humanoid's mouth open. I inserted the grenade into the opening and scrambled back to my feet. I had a couple seconds to get away from the oncoming explosion. On my sprint back, I grabbed both my Glock and the silencer from under the tree and continued running without looking over my shoulder.

Up ahead I could see another cluster of the nuisances, so I took my revolver back out and placed the Glock between my teeth carefully. I finished my job of adjusting the ACOG and finally got to put the silencer on the muzzle. Not much later, I heard the grenade go off where I left it. I looked behind me this time, to check if there were any survivors. _None._ I smiled.

As I neared my next targets, I could clearly see that there were more humanoids than we were expecting. I looked around for my comrades but I came out empty. _Where the hell are they?_ _I can't handle them all by myself._ Even Emmett seemed to have forgotten about me. I couldn't hear any more shots being taken from the sky. Hell, I couldn't even hear the drumming of the helicopter! But, I knew keeping my focus in a situation like this was vital. I had to trust that they didn't leave me, and know what they're doing. With a new resolve, I pushed any and all thoughts of my partners away. Instead, my mind scrambled for another plan.

I contemplated using my last available grenade, but there were at least 10 of them out there. The detonation would be too small to cover all of them. Running out there would only get me tackled and killed…_Unless…_

It came to me.

I removed the pistol from my mouth and gripped it tightly in the hand opposing the one holding the Magnum. I've never thought of trying my hand at dual-wielding, but there's no time better than the present. _Unless it gets you killed._ Two of the humanoids snapped in my direction. They must've heard me scoff at my own absurdity. _Oh well. No time to argue now._

With one last deep breath, I pushed off the ground on my back leg with both guns in my hands. With one arm stretched out on either side, my head turned to confirm both shots. And then I fired.

_Bull's eye. _

I froze in shock. I couldn't believe that I actually pulled it off. I couldn't believe I shot them right square in the brains!

Something hit me in my frozen state, and I tumbled to the dirt. My hand automatically reached up to cradle the tender spot forming on my head, but a solid arm restrained my action. The humanoid had a knife in its other hand, which was poised to slice through my neck. In a burst of panic I punched its head back and rolled over, safely out of reach.

Its buddies were enclosing me, leaving less and less room to escape with each passing second. _Emmett! Where are you?! _My mind was screaming out for any one of my supposed-to-be team members, though I knew it wouldn't be heard.

All of a sudden, as if answering my calls one hundred twenty minutes later, three consecutive humanoids fell to the ground and I looked in their direction in alarm. When they reached the ground I let out a sound of pure relief. _Took them long enough._

Standing a few feet behind the destroyed robots were haggard looking Edward, Jacob, and Emmett. I didn't even wonder why Emmett was there and not in the copter before I ran over to them and gave them each smack on the head.

"What the hell guys?! You left me here to get rid of 8 of these things. By _myself_." I narrowed my eyes at the three of them and they looked at me apologetically. "Whatev-" I was once again shoved onto my back when another humanoid crashed into me. I saw that the boys looked at me in alarm, not seeing the fast movement of the enemy. Edward moved his gun in our direction but didn't make a move to shoot. I realized that this was probably because he couldn't get a clear shot as I wrestled with the enemy.

With it still on top of me, throwing punches and scratching my face, I pressed my thumb on the latch that opens the revolver's handle. The golden blade slid out into my palm and I quickly jammed it in between the monster's eyes. I kicked the temporarily stunned body off me and smashed my foot onto its back. I took my time placing the blade back into the revolver as I spoke.

"This is what happens…" I cocked my gun and aimed through the hole I already made. "…when you cut me off while I'm trying to talk." I pressed the trigger and effectively ended the thing's "life."

A huff exited my chest, and tiredly, I looked back to the boys.

They were in their own battles, using their handguns to hit, push, and then shoot each enemy. I cocked my gun again, and moved my arm to the right before firing. I didn't turn; the loud fall of a solid body told me all I needed to know.

As if under anesthesia, my body decided to give up. I plunged to the dirt and onto my knees behind the barrier of the rest of my team.

I was taking a few replenishing breaths when Edward suddenly turned around and lunged for me, giving me a shove back to the ground. _I am so done with being pushed around_, I internally groaned. But when I looked down and met Edward's face, I saw pain flash in his eyes. Startled, I searched for what could've been the cause of pain when I saw a knife sticking out of his shoulder. It was connected to the rest of the humanoid that was trying to claw its way through to me. Jacob must've heard the commotion and jumped into action, kicking the threat from behind. He most likely didn't see that its arm was deep in Edward's shoulders, but it was already too late. The force of his kick caused the weapon to slice further down Edward's arm and he let out a cry.

Jacob's eyes widened in surprise and moved closer to help, but I pointed to oncoming trouble. Though his face was conflicted, obviously wanting to help his comrade, he nodded and lifted his gun hand up just in time to blow the enemy's head off. I looked back down at my own problem and shook off the initial shock from Edward's pain, getting back in the game.

Swiftly, I released my blade again and cut through the wrist of the humanoid until it was only the knife stuck in Edward's shoulder. Jacob looked back and quickly shot the thing down as we shared a look. We had to get Edward out of here or he would bleed out to death.

Emmett came running to us. I saw that he managed to execute a handful of humanoids himself, but they kept on piling in. _How is Sergeant not seeing this?_ We had only expected a maximum of 10 humanoids on this mission. But it's obvious we've been tricked. They kept coming in groups. As soon as one died, another arrived, filling its place.

"There's too many of them." Emmett's eyes widened when he spotted Edward leaning on Jacob.

"We have to disband the mission. Warn Sergeant about this…flood," I told them. The two nodded. I patted down Edward's pockets until I felt the one holding the walkie talkie.

"This is Bella Swan. I'm with Jacob Black and another USAHD pair. We need a helicopter stat; one of us is injured." We were now running with Emmett covering our backs, shooting when a humanoid came too close.

"Bella?" I recognized the voice of the pilot come through the communication device.

"Yeah."

"I'm still in the air. I'm going to drop a ladder but you have to come quick or else those things will try to board. If one reaches the ladder, it's my duty to cut the line, with or without you guys. You hear me?" I thought for a minute, seeking out a diversion.

"Yeah. I heard you."

"Alright here we go. Hope to see you all soon." I nodded my head though I knew he couldn't see me. I rallied the information to Jacob and Emmett.

As soon as we spotted the ladder a few minutes later, we burst into a sprint, Edward on Jacob's back. The two other conscious members of the team waited for me to climb but I shook my head.

"I'll go last. Someone has to make sure nothing but us gets onto the helicopter." My voice was stern and unwavering.

"What the hell, Bella? There's no way I'm letting you stay down here on your own," Jacob argued. Emmett nodded his head in agreement.

"You kind of already did. 2 hours ago," I reminded them of the mission I went through basically by myself. "There's no time. You gotta get Edward up there." I pushed Jacob to the ladder. After momentarily looking into my stubborn eyes, Jacob reluctantly conformed to my wishes and Emmett soon followed. They trudged up the long path to the helicopter, taking longer than usual since they had an unconscious person with them as luggage.

In the close distance, I could make out the forms of what someone might think were humans. But I knew better. I cracked my neck and lifted my trusted Glock in front of me. Using the 'lock on' system, I shot each humanoid that got too close. There were a lot of them. Not even my extended magazine was enough to go without having to reload. This was the tricky part. I used all 8 of my revolver bullets and I only had three left in my extended clip of 33 from my Glock. Switching out mags for either gun would simply take too much time.

A minute later I was out of bullets. I glanced up and saw that the guys were a little more than halfway through the ladder. As more humanoids filed in view I edged closer and closer to the ladder. _Come on. Think! _I racked my brain for another strategy that could save us all, but my head was so tired from over processing since this morning. My temples were throbbing and my vision grew hazy. _No._ I fought the urges to drop and begged my mind for one more life-saving idea.

_Ok._

I had my diversion.

Remembering that I hadn't used my last grenade in the previous battlefield, I hurriedly took it out of my boot. I slipped the pin through the hole, and with a thankful kiss I threw the ball towards the group of humanoids coming my way. Then, I turned around and started climbing the ladder, putting as much distance between me and the ground as I could.

I could see Emmett piling inside behind Edward. Aiden poked his head down and looked around below me before his expression turned to one of fear.

I looked underneath my feet and saw that one drone had separated from its pack and was trying to reach my ankle.

_Damn it! _I looked back to Jacob to see if he could shoot it from his position.

He probably could have if he didn't throw his gun down to me instead.

Thanks to my fast reflexes, I fastened the pistol in my palm and aimed for the head. Right before I pressed the trigger, the explosion from my grenade sounded, and caused an uproar of wind to rush up to my position. The ladder flew wild, causing my grip to falter. I grabbed onto it with both hands.

The humanoid was making its way to me, unaffected by the shift in equilibrium, and just as it took hold of my foot, I let one of my hands from the ladder go, and blindly shot the damned robot off.

Its head was blown and I couldn't have felt more relieved than I did in that moment.

I breathed out and rested my head on the rope, closing my eyes. I almost didn't feel myself being pulled up the rest of the way, as my consciousness was drifting apart.

But once I felt the soothing vibrations from the floor of the helicopter, and the voices of my team mates calling to me, my mind deemed the situation safe and it proceeded to shut down.

* * *

><p><strong>Good? Bad? <strong>

**Next chapter tomorrow!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**A.N. Chapter Eight finally here!**

**I made up my mind and decided that I will post everyday after all extracurricular activities. That means: Mondays at 8pm(EST) Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5pm, Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 3pm, and weekend mornings or nights. **

**Of course I won't always be 100% consistent, but I promise that I'll try my 100% best! Also, after some time I will only be able to post once or twice a week since I have thirty chapters already written; after I post those thirty or so, I'm going to need time in between school and other affairs to write up the following chapters. When that time comes, I'll give you guys a heads up! **

*****Does anyone know how to indent on Fanfiction because all my indents are NOT saving!*****

**As always, thanks for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW! I really want to know people's reaction to this :)**

* * *

><p>I woke up to familiar surroundings, and an even more familiar headache. A groan slipped through my mouth and I squeezed my eyes close.<p>

I don't know how long it's been since we disbanded the mission, but it has definitely been more than a few hours as indicated by the sleep in my voice and stiff heaviness pushing against my limbs.

Nurse Platt's office was the same quiet it had been last time I was admitted. The same faint cotton candy and warmth scent drifted through my nose, and the same comforting feeling surrounded me on this uncomfortable bed. Soon, I felt the same drowsiness as before and I succumbed back to sleep.

* * *

><p>"She's exhausted, boys. You can come back later. For now, she needs her rest," Nurse Platt's voice took an unarguable tone.<p>

"It's been over twelve hours though..."

"And that's normal, honey. Now go on back to your rooms and come back in the morning if you must!" I heard the sound of a door creaking open, and the shuffling of feet inching towards it.

Finally, my eyes decided to cooperate and fluttered open, revealing Nurse Platt rushing Edward, Jacob, and Emmett out the front door. Their faces shared one of conflict, but when Emmett's eyes flickered to my groggy form, his face changed to one of surprise.

"She's awake!"

Nurse Platt parted from the boys in a haste once she saw my awakened state and moved to fish something from her desk. Free to move, the boys re-entered the office hesitantly at first, but soon they reached the side of the bed I currently rested upon.

After a minute of awkward glances between each other, I took it upon myself to break the strained silence.

"Hey." I internally cringed at the sound of my croaking voice. My windpipes felt strange; almost foreign. My throat wasn't much better. It was extremely dry; so much that it burned to swallow.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" Jacob was the first to move. He sat down on a stool and leaned forward, closer to where I lay.

"Curious. How long have I been out?"

"About 18 hours, hon." Nurse Platt appeared from behind another door that led to a different room. In one hand she held a bottle of water, which she passed over to me. I thanked her with a smile and unscrewed the cap. She gently put her hands under my elbows and pulled me upright into a sitting position as I took small sips from the drink. It didn't take me long to swallow the last gulp greedily.

"So what happened to you guys out there?" I stared pointedly.

"There were some…complications, you could say." My face scrunched up in response to Edward's words. _Complications?_

Seeing the questions etched in my features, Edward nodded his head over at Emmett, who was leaning against the wall, listening intently. Before he answered, he cleared his throat.

"There was a breach in the city."

I blanched.

"Way to go at keeping it subtle." The sarcastic remark slipped through Jacob's mouth, his eyes rolling at the same time.

_Breach in the city? Impossible. _

I spoke those thoughts aloud. "We have cameras everywhere, don't we? How could no one see this?"

"That's the thing. Since we have so many places to keep an eye on, it's not possible to monitor them all at the same time. The only way to meet the situation in the middle, the Academy installed these sensors on each camera that activates when it detects movement from humanoids."

I analyzed the new information and tried to find the flaw that they weren't telling me.

"I don't get it. If they have sensors, how did Sergeant miss the breach?" If I was confused before, now I am totally lost. _What are they getting at?_

"Yes, we have sensors- that detect _humanoid_ movement." Emmett repeated his words from before, but this time, realization spread through my body.

Humanoid. _Humanoid. "It detects humanoid movement…"_ That means that-

"It was the Empire."

My head snapped up to see Edward's face. It was grave.

"What?" I whispered.

"The Empire. They came out of hiding, or at least, they're starting to."

"Why? How did they get in? I thought we had officers guarding the borders."

Edward inclined his head, understanding where my puzzlement stemmed from. "Well when we got to the scene, the North guards were all taken out. It looked as if they didn't even have a chance to put up a fight. The place was clean. Quiet."

"Except for this." I peeked over to my side where Emmett was pulling something out of his coat pocket. He handed whatever he had in there over to me. My eyes automatically cast down at the small camera screen, and my breath caught.

"Is that-"

"They left their mark." His interruption answered my question.

I stared at the intricate emblem that glowed through the screen. In black graffiti was an arrow pointed downwards. What looked like a globe was sprayed onto the top, with a crown of leaves surrounding it. Hanging off the arrow was a disturbing version of the American flag. The entire thing was inverted; having red "x's" in place of the stars over a white background. The stripes looked foreign in its blue and white scheme. Apart from the strange color changes was the actually flag itself. It was in tatters, blowing in the figurative wind.

I've seen the mark a few times in the past and it has never failed to make my heart stutter and mind freeze. This time was no different.

"This is the only thing they left for us. They fled just as we us arrived. Other students and officers were already taking action, patrolling the streets and calming down the citizens. Sergeant told us to not go after the Empire and stay within the city limits since we don't have the information we need to confront them." The three of them looked to be lost in thought, similar to myself.

I nodded in acceptance. "Okay…but that doesn't explain why you all left me down there." I made sure to keep any hints of anger or hurt out of my voice.

"Another complication," Emmett answered.

"Of course." I relaxed my back against the headboard and waited for him to continue.

"Immediately after you reached the ground, there was a swarm. You could not see the extent of how many humanoids were closing in from every possible direction." His head started shaking at the memory.

I whipped my head over to Jacob. "So you just upped and left me alone? To die?"

He rubbed his palms down his face. When he put them down I was able to see his tired face. There were bags forming under eyes, causing them to appear a darker shade of green.

"Bella, it's not that simple, I-"

"What do you mean it's not that simple?! You had a parachute, a gun- everything you needed to come and help me!" I was upset and pained all at once; a feeling I loathed to give into.

"Bella, it wasn't that easy. There were no openings. If I jumped, I would've fallen into their mosh pit, just asking to be torn apart!" His voice increased in volume, but I pushed further.

"So move! Find a spot with an opening! Even five miles away, I wouldn't have cared!" I fumed. "The most important thing to me is trust, Jacob, and you didn't even _try_. I know I'm not your favorite person in the world, but we're supposed to be partners." My voice began to waver, cracking in between words.

After losing my sister; my first friend, confidante, and sidekick, it became hard for me to form and keep relationships because of my tendency to always expect the worst from everyone. But I had come to care about the people in this school; much more than I should. Now I had that much more to lose.

"I know. I wanted to go down, Bella, believe me. But, Sergeant Reid ordered us not to."

My brows furrowed as he continued.

"He said you'd know how to handle the situation. He believed it with his gut."

"I could have died. On more than one occasion."

Jacob shut his eyes tightly and when they opened, a fire was released in one short spasm.

"Well so could have the people!"

This shut me up.

Suddenly, I hated myself for my selfishness.

"We already lost 7 guards in one day; we couldn't leave the people unprotected! It's in our pledge to the school- we _protect the people first_." He pointed his fingers to the space between my eyes. "Sergeant would _not_ have forced us to leave you on your own if he didn't _know_ you could survive it." He held my gaze, just an inch away; black eyes versus brown, girl against boy, comrade to comrade.

Our breathing was harsh and the room grew too silent.

I didn't know what to say.

So I told them the only thing I knew. "I'm sorry."

I peeked up into the eyes of my teammates. Jacob had backed away, now standing next to Emmett with his arms tightly bound across his chest. Edward was crouching on the balls of his feet, speculating the words that came through my mouth.

They were all exhausted and all I did was think of myself.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

The three of them opened their mouths in protest, but I let myself one more moment of conceit and lifted my hand up to stop them. "You guys were in a hard position; help your classmate or help the city, and I made it worse by blaming you for making the right choice. You even came for me afterwards, only to end up getting stabbed." I glanced to Edward as I spoke the last part.

They all seemed to be relieved as their shoulders visibly relaxed and their tight breaths grew smooth.

"There's no reason to be sorry, kiddo. Anyone would have been scared in your position._ We're_ sorry that we had to leave you like that. But like Sergeant predicted, you kicked ass." Jacob gave me a hard pat on the back and laughed.

I rubbed the spot on my shoulder. "Thanks," I said quietly.

Now that the big elephant was out of the room, a weight felt like it was lifted from my shoulders. "So what do we have to do now?" I stretched, suddenly feeling restless. _18 hours of sleep will do that to you._ I rolled my eyes at my inner monologue.

The others seemed to feel the same way as they each took a minute to loosen their limbs and straighten up.

"We need to go see Sergeant," Edward answered this time while he opened the door for us all to exit.

I said a quick goodbye to Nurse Platt who blew me kiss from the couch in one of the backrooms. "Stay out of trouble, hon."

The boys were waiting for me just outside and we started down the path that led to the headquarters. While Edward and Jacob paced ahead, Emmett managed to match his own long strides to my smaller ones. He kicked the ground and appeared to be struggling for words. His mouth repeatedly opened and closed and after a few rounds of this he just scratched his dark hair and spoke.

"I've been meaning to ask…" He looked down and his dark hair blocked my view to his face. My forehead creased at his odd behavior. It never came to my attention that he could be an inwardly shy person, considering his bulky display. "…where did you get that grenade of hell you tossed down there?!" He looked back up to me and the serious expression in his eyes had me burst out in laughter.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Jacob's voice abruptly shot in, "She has 'connections.'" I glared at the fingers he was now wiggling in sarcastic spook.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Emmett glimpse at me for confirmation. I jutted my thumb out to Jacob, who was now walking backwards with a smug grin in my direction. "What he said."

Emmett scowled, unsatisfied when I didn't elaborate.

"Whatever the heck that means," I heard him grumble.

The rest of the walk to the headquarters was filled with useless banter and laughter, mostly between me, Jacob, and Emmett, with the occasional pleads from Edward for us to "shut the hell up."

I came to the conclusion that out of the three of them, Edward liked me the least. At least with Jacob, he grew to be gracious in his behavior towards me. And even though Emmett and I were only recently acquainted, _and_ I just learned of his shy nature, he continues to go out of his way to converse and joke with me. Edward implied a tolerance towards me, but other than the intermittent cordial sentence or two, he seemed indifferent to a friendly comradery.

When we finally reached the tall gates, we had to give our I.D.'s to the guard before we were granted access, exactly like before.

Inside was the infinite bustle of papers, computer screens, and people. Edward took the lead and showed us through the maze of disorder all the way to a secluded hallway off to the side. There were several doors, each of them closed. Edward took us to the very last one and proceeded to give it a knock. The four of us hung back and waited for the door to open, and when it did, Sergeant Reid was revealed with a gruff look to his face. He motioned for us to enter without saying anything.

The room was much like the office he had in the main school building. The only thing that stood out as a stark difference was the wall-length glass weapon cabinet. _Oh my…_

I was pulled out of my ogle by a nudge on my shoulder. I turned around to Jacob who stiffly jerked his nose to Sergeant. I immediately took the hint and listened in on Sergeant's voice.

"We're sending a group of you out to scour some caves and underground mines that have been reported suspicious. Someone anonymously tipped that they spotted disguised men going in and out, and that each of them wore a tattoo that closely resembles the Empire's mark. We don't know for sure if this is a serious call, but we need more information on the Empire so we have to take any chance we can."

"When do we leave?" Our heads turned to Jacob in unison.

"Sunday at dusk." _That gives us 2 days,_ I thought. "We're going to need some more firearms-"

"I've got you covered." I found myself chipping in. _Wait, what?_

Sergeant's protest mirrored my own. "That's not necessary, Bella. We have a large supply here."

"I know. I mean, I can give you something a little…_extra_."

_Jenk's gonna kill me…_

"Hold up. Are you talking about your little 'connections' we were discussing earlier?" Edward inquired. I nodded my head and smiled.

"Don't worry, we can still use the guns from the school but I can call in for a couple supplementary items." I added vaguely.

"Ms. Slade, I'm quite sure our resources here will suffice."

"I know. But if this is the _Empire_ we're dealing with, it's better to prepare for the worst." _Unlike Iris did…_

Sergeant seemed to contemplate the idea, causing Edward to sigh.

"Alright. But you have till tomorrow night to get them here. If not, we leave on normal schedule." Sergeant agreed and dismissed us to make more calls.

As we exited the building, Jacob blew out a low whistle. "So when are we gonna meet this 'connection' of yours?"

I raised my eyebrow at him but didn't answer. Instead, I fished out my cell phone from my coat and dialed a number I haven't needed in the past seven months. I heard the other's questioning me, but I zoned out, mentally preparing myself for the wrath that was Roman.

The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Bella." I took a deep breath when I heard the familiar rumble of his low voice.

"Jenks."

"What do you need." It was a demand rather than a question. _He knows me too well._

I gave a nervous laugh. "I need you to fly out here by tomorrow night. With as much stuff you can bring."

I could almost see the dead seriousness on his face.

"How much stuff, exactly." Again, another demand.

"I'm not so sure. Maybe enough for at least six weapons, including a sniper rifle."

He was silent for a minute; no doubt calculating the price and estimating the supply.

"Impossible." He stated. The line went dead. _Damn it._

* * *

><p><strong>Oooooo is Jenks going to soon make an appearance? ;) <strong>

**See you tomorrow at 5. **

**As always, review and thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**A.N. A bit of a short chapter compared to the past few...but its also a bit cute...**

**Read away, lovely readers**

* * *

><p>"Complication?"<p>

I didn't notice I'd been muttering to myself until Edward's voice permeated my thoughts.

I sighed in defeat, "You could say that."

He didn't ask anything further; only nodded his head and continued walking. Another heavy breath escaped my lips and I looked up to the cloudless sky.

In that moment, I realized that I commit myself to so many time consuming affairs that I almost forgot how brilliant the stars always shined.

I've been so obsessed with my Iris-filled dreams that I couldn't remember the last time I really _dreamed_. A dream void of death and guns and revenge. A dream _satisfied_ with beauty and life and future.

My revelation made me pause in my tracks. My heart slowly began to accelerate, but this was a different kind of adrenaline.

"I want to lie down."

Emmett, Edward, and Jacob spun around, caught off guard by my sudden request. They shared the look of confusion.

"You want to sleep? Ok…we're almost home." Jacob approached me slowly, slightly bending at the knees to look into my eyes.

I shook my head furiously. "No. I want to lie down. Outside."

He stared at me with an are-you-being-serious kind of face. "Why? Like I said, we're almost back to the dorms."

I pouted, disappointed, but trailed past him anyway with my head hanging low.

As I went back to following the path, my feet resisted and dragged below me. I heard them follow behind, only causing my frown to deepen when they didn't take the hint. _Boys_. I would roll my eyes if I weren't so disheartened. I kept trudging forward.

"Wait."

I paused when he said that, waiting for him to continue with something purely irrelevant just to spite me. But when a moment turned into two, I instantly spun back around in hope.

"I know a place," Edward finished once my face met his. He turned his back the other way and branched off the path. A few steps in front of me I saw Jacob and Emmett glance and then shrug at each other before following.

Edward led us behind the school, continuing farther away from campus. Behind me, the artificial lights dimmed until I couldn't see them anymore. Every few minutes he would look over his shoulder to make sure the three of us hadn't gotten lost through the long journey.

Suddenly he stopped with his hands on his hips. Emmett and Jacob halted right behind him and all was silent, apart from the chirps of the crickets and soft whisper of the wind.

Being stuck at 5'4", I had difficulty seeing past the broad forms of the grown men in front of me. Sensing my struggle, Jacob seemed to snap out of a daze and he nudged me forward until I stood with my back towards him, next to Edward. I stumbled over my feet, but when I finally balanced myself enough to look up, I was hypnotized.

A large tree loomed over the top of the tall hill that emerged from the ground, almost serving as a pedestal. The tree had a thick trunk and full roots that deeply engraved themselves into the dirt, tangling and twisting around each other. Long branches broke through the core, forming a gentle dome over the hill. Deep and vibrant greens colored each and every single leaf, and I would swear they lit up the night, if it weren't for the stunning view of the stars.

As if under a spell, my body swayed forward without my eyes leaving the delicate picture. I stood atop the hill, just staring out at the twinkling lights. I managed to shut my mouth, but my eyes constantly fought the urge to do the same.

You would think that I've never seen the night sky before, and in a way the statement could be considered true.

I couldn't say that I've seen the sky as beautiful as the one that graced tonight. If everyone got the choice of where their last breath would be taken, right here, atop this hill and under this tree looking up at the stars, would be my answer in a heartbeat.

Slowly, I lowered my back down into the grass. One arm lie nestled in the soft blades while the other rested over my stomach. And I just lay there, unmoving and undisturbed.

Quiet footfalls climbed the hill and I felt the grass shift ever so slightly around me. I felt the warmth of company; a small smile graced my face. No one spoke, but I knew they were there, surrounding me like the stars did the moon.

"Beautiful, right?"

My eyes lingered above and I breathed a gentle, "Yes."

"I came here one night, after waking from a nightmare. Ever since then I would find refuge from the same dreams right here." Only now did I move my gaze to Edward's face. My eyes roamed while his stayed glued to the sky. Under the moon's and the stars' glow, I could see each breath he took and each breath he released. I saw the parting in his lips and the lost glaze in his eyes. He was a picture.

"What did you dream of?" My voice was almost a whisper. I could feel the pulse of my heart.

"My parents." I could tell that tonight wasn't the time for him to elaborate any more than that. I stared back to the sky.

"I miss mine." I decided to say. I felt him shift his head to look at me.

"Where are they?"

"Home. I know they're worried about me."

"Why is that?"

"I ran away." My throat constricted in guilt. I could only hope that the dark covered the burn of tears beginning to form.

"Hey, are you crying?" Jacob's voice appeared from the other side of me. I forgot he was here. I blinked rapidly, trying to force the unwanted salt water out of the way. I looked over to him, and reassured him that I was fine.

Out of the corner of my eye I could've sworn that Edward's hand was raised in the air, next to the spot my head had just been. I glanced over my shoulder but I was met with the sight of him staring back up at the stars with his arms folded underneath his head.

"You sure you're ok?" Jacob laid his hand on top of my hair in concern.

I snorted. "Never better. Are_ you_ ok?"

He took his hand back and formed a fist to his chest, feigning hurt. In a scoff he answered, "Yeah, little girl."

It was my turn to look pained, but instead of returning the insult verbally, I shoved his body off the hill.

"What the hell-" He flailed his arms around and even tried digging his fingers into the dirt, but I swatted his hands away and started giggling uncontrollably when he rolled all the way down.

A few minutes later I spotted his raven hair in the midst of the green grass, which made me laugh even harder. When he made it back up I was still clutching my stomach, the endless humor taking its negative toll on me. Soon he grew tired of glaring daggers at me and joined in, laughing at his own expense.

Right when we began to sober up, I heard a strange noise come from behind the tree. I immediately froze and reached for my gun which sat in my calf holster. Jacob looked to me in question but I held my finger to my lips, motioning for him to keep quiet. He instantly knew what I was trying to do and came over to push me behind his back. My eyes rolled without his notice, and we waited silently for the noise to resound. When it did, Jacob's brow quirked and he relaxed his stance to jog to the other side of the tree trunk. I stayed put, and when his body reappeared, he was dragging another by the legs. Curious, I left my post and peered over his shoulder.

Another round of giggle escaped my lips.

In Jacob's hands were Emmett's ankles, whose snores filled the quiet space with startling volume.

Suddenly I realized the absence of another body and I walked over to the place I saw him last.

Edward's eyes were now closed, but his hands were still locked together behind his neck. Soft snores drifted from where he lay. He looked so peaceful. I smiled and plopped on the ground beside him before waving Jacob over. He lifted Emmett's legs and dragged him over to our spot.

"Sit." I told him with a smile.

He followed my orders and sat leaning on his elbows while I lay flat on the ground, focused back on the shimmering stars above.

"How's the thing with your 'connections'?" He asked a moment later.

"Hmm… he'll come around," I said. "He always does."

Jacob nodded before straightening his arms to lie on his back. I glanced over to his form and saw that he had his eyes shut and his breathing even.

I stared at the sky for an immeasurable amount of time. My eye lids began to feel heavy a while ago, but they resisted closing so I could continue looking at the view. But I could feel my fight weakening and I let my head loll to the side, all the while keeping my eyes glued to the sight.

Another handful of time later I knew it would be ridiculous to stay up longer. I had no idea what the time was, but it was probably hours passed my normal bedtime.

I whispered "Goodnight" to the sleeping boys surrounding me- the meaning much different than when I say it to the human-like droids.

Minute by minute I felt myself drift further away from consciousness and soon I was asleep.

That night I slept free of nightmares filled with death and guns and revenge. I only dreamt of stars.

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone here ever had a lucid dream? I've always wanted to experience one<strong>

**Review, reviewers! **

**Next chapter tomorrow...wonder what'll happen...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Sorry this is sooo late! I had a ton of homework to do after work :/**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The relentless vibrations from my pocket forced me out of my peaceful slumber, and with a groan I opened my eyes, only to be instantly blinded by the sun's gleam. So, instead of putting myself through this torture I dropped my head back onto the grass and blindly reached for my phone. When I finally grasped the cursed device I held it up to my ear.<p>

"Hello?"

"Bella." I immediately shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the harsh glare from the sun.

"Jenks?"

"What?" He sounded impatient.

"Oh. It's you," I let out a breath and my body relaxed.

"Surprise."

"Why are you calling?" I asked

"I'm currently on my private jet," he said.

"Okay…did you call just to brag, or…" I drawled. My fingers were absently plucking at the grass blades around my feet.

"No. I'm on my way over to you. You needed enough for 6 guns, right?" I immediately grew suspicious.

"You're coming? I thought you said it was impossible." Accusation was clear in my voice.

"Child, I think you know better than anyone that nothing Jenks does is impossible."

"Wait. What made you change our mind?" I asked, exasperated.

He let out a low-belly chortle. "I'm just bored, Sweets." Before I could respond, the dial tone beeped in my ear and I dropped my phone to my lap in frustration.

"Complication?" I looked beside me and saw Edward propped up with his back against the tree.

I laughed at our recurring conversation starter. "Not really." I pulled a dandelion from the ground and blew away its fluff.

"Is it your 'connection'?"

My eyes rolled. "Yeah." He nodded, and mulled over the fact.

"So will he make it by tonight?"

"He will," I answered without hesitation. "He always does."

We sat in comfortable silence until suddenly I noticed the absence of Jacob and Emmett.

"They went to discuss things with Sergeant," Edward gestured to the spots they had slept in. "I told them I'd stay up here until you woke up."

I couldn't help the smile that adorned my face. "Thanks." I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear and looked up into his eyes. "You didn't have to." _But I'm glad you did._

"I don't mind," he insisted. "So, where are you from?"

"Isn't it a bit too late for introductions?" I chuckled, taken off guard.

"Maybe." His eyes bore into mine, and I knew he was waiting for an answer anyway.

I sighed lightly but said, "I used to live in a town about two or so hours away."

"You ran away from home, right?"

"Mhmmm…" I was slightly uncomfortable from his sudden inquisition, but I wanted to get in his good graces.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Multiple reasons, I guess."

"Give me one," he pushed.

I glared at him. _What is he doing? _

"My sister," My short answer didn't seem to faze him, as he continued on with his game of one-sided twenty questions.

"Your sister?"

"Yes."

"Why? Did you guys get into a big fight or something?"

I dug my fingers into the earth. _Don't go there, Edward. _I pled silently.

"No."

He finally seemed to notice my terse tone and cast a glance to my face. "Touchy subject?"

"Yes," I relaxed my muddied fingertips and he gave me an apologetic smile. And just like that, I let go of my flared up emotions towards him.

"Sorry," he spoke up after a minute of awkward silence. "I just don't understand you."

_What? _I immediately perked up in interest. "What are you saying?"

He crossed his legs before answering. "To put it short, you're abnormal." His tone was curt.

"Excuse me?" I couldn't help but feel like he was taking a jab at me.

He held up a hand, palm facing me. "Don't get the wrong idea. You're weird- ah shit, I mean you're just different…yeah..." he finished lamely.

I glared. "Not much better, Edward."

"Ok, what I'm trying to say is that you're strong."

_Abnormal? Weird? Different? _And now suddenly I'm _strong? Nope. I think I'm confused. _"I'm…strong…" I tested out the word in relation to myself. "Not the usual thing to say to a girl."

"Yes, but like I said, you're an unusual person."

"You didn't say that."

He gave me an exasperated look and I smirked.

"You're strong," he repeated. "I've been with this school for almost 4 years, and out of nowhere an 18 year old girl comes swinging in, telling everyone she came here on her own after running away from home. Of course, no one believes her," he chuckled softly. "Not until they see how independent and single-minded she thinks. And suddenly, she pulls out these crazy guns that people can only dream about, and she wields them as if they're a part of her." _Basically, _I thought. "But under all her bad ass exterior is a little girl with emotions and desires. This girl respects respect and puts trust above all virtues. She is stubborn and sensitive and she likes gazing at the stars. She admires dreamers and finds enjoyment in picking up her opponents. Of course, no one remembers that she's an 18 year old girl who ran away from home. She's lonely," he ended softly.

My eyes stayed fixed on his face as his slowly trailed up into mine. I could suddenly feel the pounding of my pulse and it made my arms feel numb. My head and heart were rushing.

But this was a different kind of adrenaline.

I couldn't stop my body from leaning towards his. He seemed to do the same. When we were and inch away from each other, Edward's eyes abruptly became distant and he pulled away, clearing his throat.

"Which is why she shouldn't be here. At this school." His voice grew as cold as his eyes and I couldn't believe how he could say those words.

"What?" In contrast to his, my voice was just a whisper.

He turned his harsh glare to me and I flinched back. "You're just a little girl! You're still growing up! You haven't even experienced life, and you're being forced to spend it shooting damn bullets at machines!"

"Life?" I jeered. "What life? What life could you possibly be speaking of in this forsaken world that's being run over by a bunch of _killing machines?_! And what about _you?_ You're only what? Nineteen? Twenty? You've barely even lived two decades and you think you have some sort of say in _my_ life?" My fists were clenched in the grass.

"I don't have a family waiting for me at home."

_What? _I shook my head roughly.

"I didn't come here for no reason." He digged.

I almost laughed, but then my mind actually heard what had just come out of his mouth, coming in rapid circles, and every time I attempted to justify its cruelty, the words would round another turn.

_No reason._

The words kept replaying in my ears until I felt the tears burning my eyes.

_No reason._

My fingernails dug into my palm, trying to divert the emotional pain to physical pain.

_No reason. _

"You don't know _anything_, Edward Cullen!" I cried. The tears dripping from my eyes fell from my quivering chin. I stood up. "You know _nothing,_" I seethed.

With a choked sob I fled from our spot under the tree and ran down the hill as I quick as I could.

Though his face was blurred from my tears, I could make out his taken aback and shocked expression. With this thought, the memory of the moment before all hell broke loose invaded my brain.

_We were so close, _I remembered. The memory disappeared with another sob.

_He's a stupid jerk. _

"Ow!" I crashed to the ground when I ran into another student. An arm reached down to help me up and I took it. "Thank you…" I trailed off when I recognized Jacob's startled face from behind my tears.

"Bella?" He narrowed his eyes to me. When he confirmed it was, in fact, me blubbering like an idiot he quickly pulled me up to my feet. "What the hell happened?" His voice was concerned and I shook my head, looking down.

"Nothing, I'm- nothing. Don't worry about it." My voice cracked from my rapid intakes of air.

Jacob used his finger to tilt my chin up so he could look at my swollen face. He dropped a curse.

"Really, Bella? You expect me to believe that this," he gestured to my whole body. "Is nothing? Bullshit." He wrapped his arm behind my back and under my arm so he could lean my weight against his. With my other arm around his shoulder, he began walking us back in the direction of our dorm. He didn't question my relentless tears; he just continued to bring us home.

People turned their heads at the odd sight, but Jacob ignored them and I did the same.

He gently untangled our arms when we got to our door and placed me against the wall so he could fish out his keys and open our dorm. When he finally did he took my arm and led me inside and onto the couch.

The tears had subsided but shorts sobs continued to spurt from my throat. My eyes were swollen and my face hurt.

Jacob gave me a long, hard look before opening his mouth. "Bella, what happened to you?" His forehead creased.

"Nothing." I lied, causing him to sigh and get up. _Good job Bella. _I bit my lip and stared down at my lap when I heard him leave.

I was still looking down when an icy box fell into my lap.

_Strawberry ice cream. _

I held it in one hand and lifted my head up in confusion.

Jacob stood above me with a small smirk on his lips. A glint from his hand caught my eye and I sought it out. In his palm were two silver spoons. I couldn't stop the smile that invaded my face if I tried. He took the tub back and lifted the cover off. He set the ice cream on the coffee table in front of me before plopping onto the couch beside me.

I ate the first bite and my mood instantly picked up when I tasted the familiar sweetness of the fruit chunks and the surrounding cream as it melted on my tongue. I felt Jacob's eyes cautiously watching me, as if he thought at any moment I would burst into tears. _I don't blame the poor guy._ Soon after though, he joined in on my desert before I had the chance to finish it all.

The tub was wiped clean not even five minutes later. I chewed on my lip, knowing what was coming Jacob had on a casual face as he threw out the ice cream and disposed of our spoons in the sink; I couldn't decipher what he was thinking. When he sat back down next to me he rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.

"You feelin' better?"

I nodded shyly. "Thank you." I was sincere.

Jacob flashed me a smug smile. "Anytime."

He seemed to be waiting for me to say something when he didn't speak again after a minute.

"Um…"

"Need to talk about anything?" He raised his eyebrow suggestively.

"Not really…" I twisted my fingers together.

Jacob had a thoughtful look pass through his face before he concentrated his gaze on me. "Was it Edward?" His voice was suspicious.

I bit my lip. "No. It was um-" I cringed when I saw realization dawn on his face.

"It _was_ him," he declared. "I'm gonna beat his ass!"

"Jacob, _no_. It was just a misunderstanding. No big deal," I reassured.

"Oh sure. I just found you _bawling_ on the sidewalk for _no big deal,_" he scoffed.

"Really, Jacob. Thank you for caring and helping me feel better, but it was nothing."

He opened his mouth to object but my phone started vibrating against my leg and I held up a finger to silence him. He obeyed but not without grumbling quietly to himself.

My eyes rolled at him before I pressed my phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Bella." I looked at the time on my phone. _3 o'clock? Already?_

"Jenks? Are you here?"

"Not quite. I'll be there soon though." I focused my ears to the background and heard the rush of water and the chatter of people. _Are you kidding me?_

"Really, Jenks? You're at the _beach_?"

He laughed, unconcerned. "Not quite, child. I'm across the beach. Some man wanted to have a deal with me.

"Jenks." I warned. "You don't make deals with anyone else but me, remember?"

He laughed again. "I know. Just fuckin' with you."

I narrowed my eyes. "How much longer, seriously." I heard him sigh.

"Give me 30 minutes." He hung up. Again.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"Jenks?" Jacob appeared before me, a questioning look in his eyes. I pursed my lip and nodded. "Connection?" He asked.

"Yeah." I admitted in a sigh. "I gotta go meet him at the front gates."

"Yeah? I'll go with you." He offered with a smile.

Too tired to argue, told him okay and five minutes later we were out the door.

The walk to the front of the school took fifteen minutes, leaving us with another fifteen to kill before Roman arrived.

We were still standing with our backs against the wall when the car pulled up. I saw Jacob's jawdrop and I smiled before pushing off the gate and walking over to the pretentious vehicle.

It was a sleek black sports car with doors that opened up instead of out. The interior was red and black leather. What was invisible to outsiders though, were the missiles hidden underneath the car, and the multiple guns placed throughout different compartments inside. Jenks installed a camera in the front, back and sides of the car.

The driver's door lifted up and a leather shoe stepped out. I waited patiently with my arm folded over my chest. When Jenks' face appeared from behind the car he flashed me his signature golden-toothed smirk. He was wearing his usual black western hat and his darkly shaded aviators sat on his nose. The hair lining his jaw and chin was beginning to turn gray and white. The sight made me feel slightly sentimental, but I shook it off.

"How's my favorite customer?" Jenks said aloud.

"I'm your only customer," I reminded with a laugh. He returned the gesture and reached over to pull me into a tight hug. I breathed in the mundane smell of cigars, gun powder, and money.

Jenks released me and peered behind my shoulder. "Who's this?" He pointed at Jacob who still looked star struck. I laughed at his appearance.

"That's Jacob Black, my partner."

"Huh." Jenks looked unimpressed and he turned back to his car. He opened the truck with a button on his keys and started pulling out polished black cases one by one. I understood what he was doing and I gestured for Jacob to come over and help. He blinked his eyes several times before closing his mouth and walking over.

In the end there were four suitcases filled with attachments to be used on the mission tomorrow. Before we started back to the dorm, Jenksgave me a serious look.

"You sure about this, Bella?"

I looked up at him with an equal amount of serious. "Of course."

He nodded, resigned.

After all, I didn't come to this school for _no reason_.

* * *

><p><strong>Review? :) <strong>

**See you tomorrow **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Hi! **

**Sorry this is late again . I had a make-up school appointment since I missed it the other day. **

**I hope you had a great week so far, whether you go to school or not :) **

**Thanks for reading.**

* * *

><p>Jacob, Jenks, and I sat at the kitchen table, eyeing the four open briefcases contained with weaponry.<p>

I cast a look over to Jenks, who sat bored on the other side of Jacob. "How much is this going to cost?"

He pretended to calculate with his fingers. _Yeah, this is totally going to be less than 10 dollars._ "Hmm… about one, two- six point five grand?"

I gave him a doubtful look and then blanched. "That's it? For this much?"

He shrugged and waved his fingers.

Though surprised, I nodded in approval. "Basically free…" I whispered.

"Okay, enough of this! What the hell type of people are you two?!"

Jenks and I both moved our eyes to Jacob. He had his hands in his hair, looking more than distressed.

"Jacob?" I asked, putting my hand on his back.

He glared at me. "First of all, what type of shit is this guy dealing to you? And 6 _grand_? You think that's _basically free_? Where the hell do you get that money from, Bella?" His eyes kept flickering back to the cases on the table.

"Listen kid, this _shit,_ ain't _shit_. You have no idea what- and who you're dealing with," Jenks pitched in. He tilted his head down to give Jacob a look over his sunglasses.

Jacob turned to me, a pleading look in his eyes. I only shrugged. Jenks was right; he doesn't deal anything but the best.

Jacob sighed in defeat before slumping back in his seat.

"Alright Bells, where do you want this?" Jenks began closing the cases and spun each of the security dials until they locked.

"We have to bring them over to Sergeant."

Jacob and I helped Jenks out with the briefcases and walked down to the headquarters.

I took the lead and brought them over to his office before setting down the merch and knocking on the door.

Sergeant opened after a few knocks and looked surprised to see me and my company.

"Bella?" He held it open wider for the three of us to come in.

We set the luggage on the ground and when we were all settled in, I gestured to Roman.

"Sergeant, this is Jenks, my private supplier." I moved my hand over to Sergeant. "Jenks, this is Sergeant Reid, head of the school and my mentor of sorts." They both looked each other up and down, making no move to great the other.

Sergeant nodded to the briefcases. "What did you guys bring with you?"

"Things for our guns." I waved for Jenks and Jacob to bring them over.

Jenks set one on top of Sergeant's desk and proceeded to unlock it.

Inside were a few minor attachments I recognized; sights and grips. I looked up to Sergeant and saw that he was inspecting the items, rubbing his forefinger and thumb thoughtfully on his chin. He gestured to the rest of the cases.

"What about those?"

Jenks brought another one over and placed it beside the first. "This one here's for the sniper Ren told me you got." He broke in the code and lifted the cover. This one held more complex additions.

Jenks began pointing to each one, giving a brief description. "Infrared scope, mini pistol that can be inserted under the barrel, adjustable bipod, and several others."

"Damn. Em's gonna enjoy this mission," Jacob whispered. A laugh escaped my throat.

"These are for any shotgunners you got. Long range, coated bullets, triangle barrel…"

The last two suitcases were filled with modifications for handguns and assault rifles. I tuned out from the details, already well-informed by each and every single attachment since long before. Instead, I hung back and watched the three of them scrutinize the contents of each case.

After a few minutes, Jacob strolled over to where I stood.

"That's quite the uh… dealer you've got," he laughed as he leaned against the wall, mirroring my position.

"Don't I know it," I chuckled.

Jenks clapped his hands together, causing the two of us to snap our heads in his direction.

"Alright, that was all my shit. When do we start?"

I shrugged. "Tonight? We're leaving tomorrow morning anyway." Sergeant nodded at my suggestion.

"Fine. But as usual, no pay no game, Sweets."

Already expecting this, I walked over and pulled out an envelope from inside my coat. Gingerly, I placed it into his outstretched hand and he reached inside to pull out the wad of cash.

"6 point five grand, flat," I assured him. Jenks began counting the bills one by one nonetheless.

As he was making his calculations I felt the eyes of Jacob and Sergeant probing my back, surely surprised by my lack of hesitance in giving up the several thousand dollars. I didn't turn though; too tired and worn out from today's events.

Jenks completed his count in record time, and a satisfied look relaxed onto his face. I blew out a breath.

"Told you."

Jenks rolled his eyes. "I don't trust no one, child. Not even you. Anyone can give you a pile of cash and say it's a thousand dollars, when in reality it's only a stack of Benjamin's." His arm slung over my shoulders. "Everyone hates the Benjamin's," he added with a shake of his head, making me to laugh.

"You can't make it without _some_ trust, Jenks," I said softly, looking up at his face.

He sighed and frowned. "That's what I used to believe too, Sweets."

_Always the same excuse_, I said in the back of my mind.

Suddenly, Sergeant Reid cleared his throat and we turned our attention to him. "So tonight," he started. "We all meet up with the rest of the group at 8. We'll deal with this stuff then." He gestured to the briefcases that were now secured and sitting by the door.

"Where do you want us to meet up?" Jacob asked from my side.

"The combat building."

Sergeant opened his door for us in a salute. He nodded as we passed through and then gently closed it behind us.

A few minutes into our walk back to our dorm, Jacob excused himself to inform Emmett and Edward of our plans. He didn't offer for me to come along as he usually would, but after this afternoon's events he knew better than to speak_ his_ name. And for that I am grateful.

When Jenks and I got back, we spent the rest of the evening catching up and discussing the upcoming mission.

"How have you been settling in, Sweets?" We were both sitting on the couch facing each other, with the television murmuring in the background.

"Really well, actually," I shrugged. I paused for a second before weakly adding, "Have you heard from my mom and dad?"

Jenks' face immediately grew somber and he laid a warm hand on the top of my arm. "They're worried as hell back home, Bella. I've been this close to telling them myself." He pinched his fingers together.

My chest felt heavy. "I think it's time," I whispered. "I'm going to call them tomorrow morning, before we have to leave."

Jenks looked surprised. "Really? Why don't you just wait until after the mission?"

"I can't live with this guilt anymore, Jenks. They already lost one daughter and now the other left them without saying a word. They're hurting." I stared deeply into his eyes, trying to make him understand.

"Okay, Sweets, I get it. But what I want to know is why you even fled like that in the first place." He folded his arms across his body.

"You already know why," I deflected.

"Yes yes, your parents refused to let you attend USAHD, so you got the bright idea of packing up and coming on your own in a desperate need for teenage rebellion." He flicked his hand in front of my face. "Child, I know the _bullshit_ reason why," he deadpanned.

"Well I guess we're just gonna keep it that way," I told him.

"Sometimes, I really don't understand you."

My entire body froze.

'_Sorry,' _he spoke…'_I just don't understand you.'_

'_What I'm trying to say is that you're strong.'_

'_This girl respects respect and puts trust above all virtues…'_

'_She likes gazing at the stars…she's lonely.'_

For the umpteenth time this day my eyes began to well with tears.

I told Jenks I had to use the bathroom so I could shower. _Lie._

I ran to the shower and turned it on with the heat halfway up. Before I could step in, I was struggling for air through my sobs.

As the water poured over me, so did his words.

'…_she shouldn't be here. At this school.' _

'_You're just a little girl!'_

'_I don't have a family waiting for me at home…I didn't come here for no reason.' _

No reason.

One lone tear dropped from my cheek, blending in with the bath water.

_No reason._

With one deep breath I blocked off my emotions.

_No reason._

And with those two words I shut down my heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Phew got through this chapter! <strong>

**Don't worry, this Bella is NOT a crybaby. This is just uncharted and very sensitive territory for anyone to cross with her. She's a hard-ass, I assure you. Except when it comes to her sister and her priorities.**

**As always- got a question? Review! got a comment or something you want to discuss? Review! Hate it? Love it? Review! :)**

**Peace out**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

I turned off the shower and stepped onto the cold tile of the bathroom floor.

Silently, I slipped on a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversized hoodie.

Comfort clothes. _Haven't worn these in a while._

When I strolled back to the living room I found that Jacob had come back and was talking to Jenks, who appeared bored and uninterested.

"We should go," I announced by the front door.

Jacob spun his head to where I stood while Jenks slowly got up. Jacob then bounded over to me with a grin.

"Ready?" he asked.

I responded with a curt nod which made his eyebrows furrow. I moved past him inching further towards the outdoors.

"Alright, Sweets, lets show 'em what we're really about." Jenks shut the lights off behind us.

The gym housed a group of students talking amongst themselves.

Sergeant stood in front of all them, and turned to us as soon as he heard the door close.

"All rise." The group silenced and rose to their feet in a straight line. Unfortunately I recognized one face staring at mine. I kept my eyes straight.

"As you all know, you'll be pursuing a mission in the morning. Though it is somewhat unofficial, as we have no hard evidence of the_ empire_, it will still be dangerous. Like every day in this new world, there will be stray humanoids on the loose, and there have been reports of groups of them coming and going in that particular area. Because of this, our recently admitted student, Ms. Isabella Swan, has offered her extended services in the form of weapon enhancement." Sergeant gently brought me forward with his hand on my back. I forced out a smile. "Her friend, Jenks, had all the equipment custom-made and personally handled." Jenks came up from behind me. "Jenks," Sergeant gestured to the briefcases.

Jenks spent the next half hour explaining each attachment in detail before the students were told to come up with their guns and test them out.

I stood away from the group, only watching their reactions as they discovered what I've always had access too. They attached reticles and barrels, extended magazines and holo sights...

I spotted Emmett at one point, talking to Jenks about the sniper rifle equipment. He had waved his hand at me with a smile on his face which I returned less than half-heartedly with a nod. His grin had faltered, causing a pang of guilt to slip through my defenses. I was quick to stop it though, moving my head towards the ground.

I seemed to be as good as invisible through the first two hours of the meeting, so I decided to linger outside.

The sun had already set, being as it was ten o'clock in the night. The Academy lights along with the millions of stars served as a guide in the pitch black. I continued to be unnoticed outside as I was inside, but it was easy to say that I was grateful for the fact.

But apparently, one person just couldn't leave me in peace.

Edward walked outside with his hands shoved in his pockets, looking at his feet walk one in front of the other. I kept my stance in front of him, leaning my weight on one leg and crossing my arms.

When he looked up he feigned shock at my presence. Of course, I knew better.

"Bella?" He squinted his eyes though I knew his vision could clearly depict my face, thanks to the street lamp a yard away from me. I let him play his game.

"Uh huh."

"What are you doing out here?"

_Trying to get away from you. _"Nothing." I felt myself shrug through my detached state.

Edward pursed his lips while inching forward beside me. When I didn't start throwing punches or screams, I sensed the stiffness relax from his body. And there was _a lot_ of it.

"About this morning…I'm really sorry, Bella. I had no right to make conclusions, or tell you what to do. I shouldn't have brought up your family, or that you ran away, or about your time here at the school...God, I was being such an asshole...and I really shouldn't have brought up your sister or your past, I-"

"Okay." I watched uninterestedly as his eyes flickered from shock to confusion.

"I- What?" He spewed.

I shrugged. "Thanks for apologizing I guess."

I made my way back towards the building and I heard him follow, after standing frozen for a few seconds.

"What do you mean 'okay?' You ran from me this morning, cry-"

"I have to go help Jenks and the others," I called over my shoulder. I really wasn't in the mood for dealing with meaningless words and emotions, so I left him gaping at my retreating form.

Back inside, things haven't seemed to change at all; the students were still busy trying out all the equipment.

"Bella!" I snapped my head in the direction I heard my voice being called, and met the eyes of Jacob. He waved me over.

When I reached his side he shoved his gun in my face. Almost cross eyed, I inspected the weapon and recognized it to be an assault rifle. I freed my eyes as I looked back up to him in question. "What do you think?" he prodded.

I raised my eyebrow before focusing back on the gun, though at a less painful distance.

I immediately understood what he wanted once I took notice of the attachments that had been added.

He had a pistol latched underneath the barrel; an extra grip and fire power. The gun also had a silencer and extended magazine. It was mostly basic attachments, so I decided to give it something a little exclusive. Without a word I handed Jacob back his gun and weaved through the crowd of people until I reached one of the cases on the table.

Discreetly, I checked my sides and back for anyone who could possibly catch a glimpse of what I was currently doing. _Clear. _I exhaled before lifting up the securely hidden shelf in the case, revealing a second row of modifications. The only difference was that these specific mods were _hardcore._ I spied the one I was searching for and pushed the shelf back into place, safely kept from those who don't know about it.

I made my way back to Jacob and snatched his assault rifle back from his loose grip. Swiftly, I connected the new piece. I held the weapon in front of me and marveled at its magnificent deadliness. _I am a sick human being._ A smile almost twitched at my mouth.

Aiden scrutinized the addition. "A compass?" he asked.

I replied in the affirmative. "It's a very tampered with compass," I added. "It can detect humanoids and suspicious objects moving in your direction that are traveling over 30 miles per hour from up to 10 miles away."

"Woah…" He gently pulled his gun from my fingers and I willingly gave it back. He glanced up at me with a warm smile. "Thanks, Bella."

Eyeing the widening of his mouth, I felt my face turn blank, void of emotion. I moved my eyes to his. "Sure. Just don't flaunt it in front of everyone." I turned to walk away but Jacob was quick to grab my wrist. I had no choice but to face him again.

His features were smothered with pointless concern.

"Are you ok, kiddo?"

He sounded so sincere; I almost told him the truth. I shook off the feeling and flattened my eyes.

"Never better."

This time, I rushed away before he could reach me. His voice called out to me but I ignored it and exited the building once again.

The air felt crisp as it scratched against my cheeks, making me feel more than I had let myself the whole day. It was hard to turn off my emotions after living with them again for two years. I had gotten used to basing my actions on emotional instincts rather than logic. _I have to get used to turning it off, _I internally prepped myself, _so I can finish what I came here for. _

When I came back to reality I found that my body had taken me to the dorms. Closing the door, I turned on the lights and went into my bedroom. Sitting on my sheets were my guns, both emptied and put on safety. I scooped them up and discarded them on my desk, and then closed the blinds and draped the curtains framing the window. Feeling more than drained, I collapsed onto my bed and sunk in the mattress. I curled into a ball on my side, facing the wall. One hand slipped under my cheek while the other reached underneath my body to pull the quilt free and settle it over me.

And as I slept, dreams of death and guns and revenge washed over my mind.

I would have to forget my dreams of stars and beauty and life.

_For now._

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for putting up with my hectic schedule :)<strong>

**Also thank you so much for the reviews- I really want to know if you like my story or not!**

**another chapter tomorrow!**


	13. Chapter 13

**ChapterThirteen**

I rose from my bed, stretching at the same time. Today's mission would officially begin at 5:30. The group was ordered to meet up in the headquarters' basement by Sergeant Reid last night.

Inside my closet I had sectioned off a band of clothes specifically for missions. Within the cluster were dark and neutral-themed fabrics. I unhooked a black, hooded leather jacket along with black jeans and a brown V-neck short sleeve. There was no need for cover as I stripped my night clothes off and dressed into my new gear. I sloppily tied my dark hair into a ponytail before exiting my room.

Poking my head out from behind the wall, I scoped the area.

Jacob lounged on the couch wearing an outfit closely resembling my own. Next to the couch stood Roman, wearing his usual black suit over a loose white button down. His hat was in his hand, a cigar in his mouth despite the strict rule forbidding any type of smoking inside and around the entire campus.

I stepped into the room, and even though I was trying to be quiet, the two of them somehow sensed the added presence and turned around to see me almost tiptoeing my way into the kitchen. I froze and bit my lip, obviously caught. Jacob smiled and got up and sauntered over to where I stood, and gently patted my hair before passing my body to the fridge. I relaxed with an exhale and spun around to observe what he was doing.

The fridge was opened and he shuffled things around inside until he settled on one object. He closed the door and set what he held in his hand onto the counter.

"Eat." He gestured to the platter and I peeled my eyes from him to the counter. I took a step closer and saw that sitting on the plate was a small stack of pancakes and a bunch of juicy looking strawberries. Jacob pushed a bottle into my field of view. It was a can of whipped cream; my favorite topping for almost everything. "You need the energy for later," he explained. I looked away from the food until I met his eyes. They were a melting deep green, smiling as his lips did.

I managed the tiniest of smiles on my own face before taking the plate and whipped cream to the dining table.

I sliced into the soft stack and put it in my mouth, pieces of strawberry following right after. I continued this until the plate was clean, aside from the red juice of the fruit.

Pushing back my chair, I moved the used dish into the sink and trudged back into the living room where Jacob returned to. Jenks was now slouching comfortably beside him, his legs spread and hands hanging loosely.

"Are you guys ready? We need to be there in less than an hour," I informed from behind where they sat.

Jenks glanced at the clock on the wall across from us. "Damn, you're right. We should get going," he shook his head.

While the two of them prepared themselves, I snuck back into my room and went straight for my desk. I opened the top drawer. Inside was the safe I kept my ammo in.

Quickly, I punched in the right numbers, satisfied when I heard the familiar buzzing sound it makes after being unlocked. I grabbed a box of bullets and proceeded to fill my gun's chamber and magazine.

When my Glock and Magnum were both locked and loaded, I went to my open closet and pushed away my clothes down the middle. The spread revealed a wall where I stored my holsters, bandoleers, vests, and backup firearms and knives. After a short minute I decided on my side holsters which strapped over my shoulders, across my back, and under my arms. It had an extra compartment where I could secure an extra box of bullets.

Before I buckled the holster on, I pulled one of my bullet-proof vests since this mission includes the possibility of human threats. Once I was set, I pushed back all my clothes back into place, concealing the wall from others.

As I strolled back into the living room I finished up securing my guns to my sides. When I was sure they wouldn't somehow fall out, I moved my eyes to the front door where Jacob and Jenks stood waiting.

"Sorry," I told them as I walked by. "Let's go."

Headquarters was as busy as usual. I now knew the place well enough to navigate my group to the large underground space Sergeant had taken us for our last mission.

When the three of us arrived, I saw that Edward and Emmett were in deep conversation with Sergeant. Two other participants appeared bored as they sat against the wall.

I turned around and motioned for Jenks and Jacob to join Edward in the middle of the room. They both nodded and walked past me, leaving me to follow behind after zipping up my leather jacket in order to hide my guns.

It seems to have become a routine for Edward to trail his eyes on me. I could tell that he was trying to will me to look back, and just to spite him, I did the opposite and kept my eyes away from his. The frustration rolling off of him almost had me smiling smugly. _Almost. _

"Alright, Group 1 will be ready to pursue in T-minus 15 minutes." Sergeant Reid's voice carried across the room as he spoke into the walkie talkie in his hand. He put the device in his back pocket before calling me over. Though surprised, I did as he asked and power walked until we stood facing each other.

"Sergeant?"

"Edward told me that you've not been feeling well these past few days." He looked sternly at my face. "Bella?" His thick eyebrow rose for confirmation.

Before answering I looked behind me where I knew Edward was watching, and when we met eyes a triumphant look appeared on his face. I glared. _That bastard! _

"Your partner also informed me that you've been acting out of character lately, and this observation was supported by Emmett." My shoulders instantly sagged at the gang that had been put up against me. I cursed the three of them silently in my head.

"They probably just feel bad about leaving me during our last mission." My inner voice called the bullshit. "Maybe they want to make up by completing this one on their own; male ego and all that. But I can assure you that I'm fine."

Sergeant eyed me doubtfully. "Bella, you know that we don't send students out if they aren't feeling one hundred percent." His face morphed into one of worry. His warm concern made me smile in my head.

"Does that mean I can't go?" I asked. "'Cause I'm feeling just around one hundred and fifty percent ready for today."

Sergeant cracked a smile at my lame joke, but I appreciated it all the same. "Ok. But this is your last chance to back out if you're harboring second thoughts," he warned.

Something about Sergeant always made me feel at ease and trusting. So taking a chance, I told him a portion of the truth.

"I'm really fine," I breathed. "I just…miss her. It's been getting to me lately, that's all."

When I looked into his eyes, they were filled with understanding and a small taint of sadness. He suddenly wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me close. Forgetting about my emotional defenses, I basked in the comfort. It was probably a stupid idea on my part, but like I said, Sergeant had a way for making me feel cared about and loved. In a way, he served as a second father to me during the past few years.

Returning his embrace felt good and bad. It seemed that my body had craved the gentle affection, but it also made me miss my dad more than anything at the moment. The feeling ended almost immediately though, as I pulled away from him a second later and reconstructed my emotional barrier.

Sergeant didn't seem to notice the change in my resolve and he gave me a gentle smile and comforted me with just the right words.

I had to tune out from his paternal tone.

As soon as I could make a polite escape from the smothering, I rejoined Jacob, who had also departed from his small party.

He shot me another one of his eye-brightening, world turning, optimistic grins.

_Maybe that was a little exaggerated… _

His smile brought back the burden of time on my small shoulders.

It's weird and somewhat odd that only two weeks ago this same man looking brilliantly at me now, had uttered the words, "don't act like we're friends," to my face.

_Two weeks…_

Time seems to drag in this place. I'm not sure if that's particularly a good thing yet.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked once I reached Jacob hearing range.

"Just about. I think Sergeant is calling in the helicopters."

"Shouldn't they be here already? I heard him make the announcement a while ago."

Jacob shrugged, unconcerned. I sighed. I just wanted to get today's mission over and dealt with.

The minutes continued to drag, until we heard the beating of wind right outside the walls. Sergeant called for everyone to stand and prepare. As we adjusted our helmets and parachute packs an officer punched in the code for the massive garage-like doors to lift up. Since I had my hair in a ponytail, it didn't lash at my face quite as roughly as last time.

One by one, the eight of us; three girls and five boys, climbed up the ladder that fell from the helicopter's belly hatch. Jacob and Emmett helped me up while Jenks impatiently slapped my bottom to get me to hurry. I kicked his face.

Edward was the last to board the craft and so he covered and locked up the opening on the floor. When it was secured, his eyes unintentionally swept over my form until they caught my gaze. He waved with two fingers, which I returned with a reluctant nod.

I barely registered the pilot droning on about the location and procedure of the mission, but I was able to pick up the fact that we should be getting ready for our fall-outs. I ended up being first in line and I rolled my eyes while taking a deep breath.

"Bella!" My eyes snapped open to the sound of my name.

An arm was in the air and I trailed my eyes down the length of it, until they landed on the body that was attached to it. Axel tightened his helmet as he walked to where I was standing.

"I'll go first." He pushed me gently back and took my place. He must've read the question on my face because he answered, "So you know you won't get left behind this time." He shook his arms and cracked his neck playfully. "Jacob!" Axel pointed to the spot in front of me. "You're up next." And not a second later, Axel had dove backwards from the helicopter and left our sight.

I was either too shocked or confused when Aiden put a hand on my shoulder before swiftly following the performance. "See you on the ground, kiddo." And not another second passed when he, too, left our sight.

There were only two of us left on board when I finally gathered my scattered pieces of brain in my head. Blinking, the person in front of me cleared, and I was able to see that it was Roman and I who needed to part from the copter.

And all too soon he placed one foot outside and casually dropped to the air with his hands behind his back. I blinked again.

"You ready?" The pilot was turned in his seat, eyeing me expectantly. Dazed, I nodded and inhaled through my nose. Facing my back to the wind I stretched my arms out to my sides, and fell into the sky.

When I reached the ground, I was able to see the figures of the rest of the group. Cutting off the parachute, I discarded the back pack and immediately I unzipped my leather jacket to take out my Glock.

The area we landed in resembled a savannah…but near Washington D.C. The dry ground was scarce, only a few trees and patches of grass making an appearance. In the distance I could make out the silhouette of the cave we'd be soon scouting. I crept closer to the others, announcing my presence.

"Alright, so we're all here." Jacob rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Emmett and Jasper, when we get near the cave, you two stay back and monitor the area with your snipers." Emmett and another boy of about the same age nodded silently. "The rest of us will go inside and search the area." All of us agreed and began our trek to the targeted space.

About four hundred feet away from the cavern opening, Emmett and Jasper walked in opposite directions, covering both sides of the land. The two of them set up their sniper rifles on huge boulders, scoped the area, and then gave us the go. We proceeded closer, leaving them to watch our backs, and the air grew cautiously colder.

At the entrance, we automatically paused, as if waiting for something. In my holster, I had an extra compartment that I placed a flashlight into the other day. When this came to mind, I unclipped the light source and turned it on, pointing it inside.

"Damn that's dark," Jenks whistled lowly.

Jacob turned to face the group. "We're going to have to stick together. I didn't think to bring a flashlight, so," he glanced at me. "we have to go together. Whatever you do, don't let yourself get lost." He stressed the point with a finger in the air. He turned back and held his gun in one hand while waving us closer with the other as he steadily led us into the dark shade of the cave.

Soon the only thing visible was the narrow stream of light from my flashlight, and the rocks and pointy ledges it exposed. I would sweep the light over every now and then, just so nothing would be overlooked. Our quiet footsteps somehow seemed loud as they echoed off the walls and back into our ears.

Suddenly, Jacob halted in his steps, causing me to yelp when I slammed into his back, unaware that he had stopped. Jacob turned around, but my head faced the ground in shock.

In the process of hitting Jacob, the only light source in this cave had slipped from my palm and into one of the many puddles beneath our feet.

"Shit." I heard Jacob mutter.

"Bella? What the hell happened? Jacob?" The rest of the group began to murmur in a panic, but it was Edward voice that I heard over theirs.

Blindly, I took Jacob's hand and dragged him over to where I heard Edward's voice coming from. It had come from behind us, and this is when I realized that the voices of the other students came from ahead of us. _How did we get so separated? _I let the question hang in my head. There was no time to get sidetracked.

"Edward!" I called.

At the sound of my voice, I heard heavy footsteps gradually break into a jog and soon, I could feel the heat of another human.

"Edward?" My eyes squinted in the dark, not making a difference in my clouded vision.

But suddenly another hand grabbed mine and it told me what I couldn't see.

"Jenks?" I gripped the hand tightly.

"Yeah, Sweets. I'm here." His slight south-of-the-border accent calmed most of my nerves and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. Where's Edward?" Another warm presence neared my body.

"Right here, Bella." Edward placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around. He gently pushed me forward in a walk deeper into the cave. His shove caused me to accidentally yank both Aiden and Jenks along with me, and they cursed at the sudden pull.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked to no one in particular.

"I think they're up ahead."

The dark didn't tamper with hearing, so I focused what would be used for my sight, on my ears, and on what I could hear.

It took a while, but soon we heard the stressed murmurs of the two others of our group.

"What are we supposed to do without a light?"

"Why the hell didn't anyone else think to bring a lantern or something?!"

Jenk's aggravated question only seemed to fire up the rest of them more.

While they argued, I stood to the side, rubbing my temples and closing my eyes, silently analyzing any plans that came to mind.

And like always, the perfect one did.

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY got a chapter in early-ish.<strong>

**oohhh so the team is in a bit of a situation...dont worry ;) **

**When i reach chapter 20 I'll be reducing the chapters to once or twice a week so you get used to the reduction when we get to chapter 30 since i have about 17 chapters written and :/ But it'll be worth it :/ **

**Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow! **

**-MJ ( No, not Michael Jackson :P )**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Jenks, did you bring one of the-"

"Bella, check and see if this will work." Jenks pressed a square object firmly into my palm and closed my fingers around it. I rubbed it with my fingertips and the indents and smooth surface felt familiar. In an instant, I asked Jacob for his assault rifle, which he put in my waiting hand without hesitation.

"How did you know I was going to need this?" I turned the object on once I secured it on top of the gun, and it revealed a screen of structured blobs in white, grey, and black.

"Who supplies you all this shit, Sweets? I taught you all you know." Some part of his voice sounded smug and boastful, but I brushed off the tone. Instead, I brought the scope closer to my eye, and finally, I was able to gather information on our surroundings.

The thermal sight allowed me to clearly depict the positions of the five others in vivid white, as their heat is the strongest in the area. Because of the atmosphere, almost everything had at least an outline through my eyes, as they emit, absorb, and bounce off heat. Most of the area was covered in rocks and puddles and small insects.

Abruptly, I pulled back out my Glock and switched the laser sight on. I passed it over to Jacob who looked at me in question.

"She wants you to see if the laser will bend or just stop; a sign of liquid, or obstacles in our way." I glanced at Jenks when he finished explaining. I could almost feel his eyes roll.

I turned back to Jacob and tapped his shoulder for attention. "Just point it in front of us while we walk. I'll use the thermal for extra surveillance." Now I turned to look blindly behind me. "Edward, do you have a walkie talkie?"

The sound of his hands patting his pockets sounded. Then they paused. "Yeah. What do you need?"

"See if you can contact Emmett or Jasper and tell them about our situation."

He complied and soon the sounds of static and finally Emmett's voice rested in the air. I took this time to continue monitoring our surroundings with the thermal sight. In the back of my mind I could hear Edward and Emmett's muffled voice through the small speaker.

"No. No, we're fine…You two stay there and keep our backs clear. We're fine, Em. Bella's got us anchored…."

Without warning, I took the walkie talkie from Edward's grasp, and spoke into it. "Emmett. If we don't come back within ninety minutes, I want you to try and get in contact with the pilot. If you can reach him, tell him to bring back up, _ASAP. _If not, I want you and Jasper to follow where we came in from with caution, _please_." I stressed my need for their safety. Before he could reply I added, "At the right corner of the mouth of the cave, I'm going to leave a revolver and a set of _regular_ bullets. And just for precaution, there will also be a grenade; the same type that you saw me throw at the herd of humanoids last time. _Only_ use that on humanoids, okay?" As I was giving my orders, I had already unclipped my Magnum and rolled up my jacket sleeve to reveal a hidden grenade.

"Bella…, _what are you saying_?" Desperation and confusion threaded through Emmett's usual calm and gentle voice.

"Don't worry, Em. It's just precaution for the worst. We'll probably be out of here in time for dinner!" My own voice softened when I felt his tender concern find weakness within my deeply rooted barrier.

I could also feel pairs of eyes staring intently towards me. Ignoring them, I turned my attention back to the phone. "Don't forget what I told you, okay?" On the other line I heard his defeated sigh.

"Be careful," Emmett told me before dropping the call.

Silently I handed the walkie talkie back to Edward. He stared at me in disbelief as he shoved the thing into his pocket.

"Why the_ hell_ did you say those things, Bella? A gun with _regular_ bullets? What, are you suggesting the death of a _human_?" He was getting angrier and more confused by each word.

I only stared, waiting for his fury to pass.

"Emmett is _not_ killing _anyone_. None of us are." His face told me he was unconvinced by his own declaration.

Suddenly Jenks cut in, "Listen kid, Bella is just preparing for every single possible outcome. What if we get captured in here? What if we get cornered by those machines? She's the only one thinking here!" By the end of his speech, Jenks had gotten into Edward's face, pushing a finger into his chest. Edward took a step back, his expression still cross.

In irritation, I shoved my way in between the two and pushed them both back, my arms stretched out. I glared at Jenks before glancing behind at Edward with the same amount of annoyance. "Can you both _stop_?" I looked over Jenks to give Jacob a pleading look. He immediately understood.

"Edward, come on man. We gotta go. Bella knows what she's doing." He put his hand on Edward's tensed shoulder until he slowly began to relax.

Edward gave me one last hard look before walking past me. "Let's go," he ordered without turning around.

* * *

><p>"Check that corner."<p>

We've been traveling deeper through the cave for almost an hour, searching for anything that looked suspicious. So far, we've only encountered rocks, mud, and the occasional bat. Jacob never took his eyes off the screen monitor that came with Jenks' thermal scope. At the same time, I've been frequently pointing my laser to various locations, helping us avoid several deep puddles and dead ends.

Edward rarely spoke from behind the group but he held his gun in one hand as he followed. Jenks was quite the same, only giving me and Jacob orders to check corners and recheck certain areas. The other two girls in our group stayed close behind, guns in hand.

I walked ahead with Jacob to inspect the corner Jenks had pointed out.

Just as we turned back around to the others, Edward froze.

"Did you hear that?" his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I quickly went to his side.

"What did you hear?"

"I don't know… someone talki-" Suddenly his eyes widened and he pushed me behind a wall, gesturing for the others to do the same. He moved to stand with his chest facing me, effectively covering me from any threats.

Jacob crouched behind a boulder up ahead while Jenks took the two other girls behind a wall on the other side of the cave.

We all stood rigidly, staring at one another while straining our ears for any noises. The only I could hear was the rapid breathing of Edward and myself. He was still standing over me with his hands on the wall beside my head. His eyes flitted over his shoulders periodically and I closed mine, focusing all my senses on my ears.

Footsteps.

Edward's gaze turned to me just as I urgently looked up to him. I forced my eyes to translate what I wanted to say, and somehow he seemed to understand. He turned around silently and hand signaled to the rest to remain silent. He put his hand behind his ear and pointed to the dark expanse on the other side of the wall, telling them to listen carefully.

"Bella," He whispered, staring down at my face. He put his hand on my shoulder and tightened it. I looked at it from the corner of my eye until he spoke roughly again. "What would you do if we got caught?"

I wasn't expecting this question, but I thought of an answer anyway. "Emmett would come-" He instantly started shaking his head.

"I asked what _you_ would do."

We stared at each other for an eternity as I sought for the prime strategy.

I didn't get to answer.

The sound of something hitting the ground caught our attention and I looked around Edward to peer at the ground. The lights from a flashlight roamed the cave, allowing a short-lived glimpse at what rolled on the floor.

It was round, it was solid, and it was seeping out a cloudy vapor-like substance.

A grenade. And from the looks of it, a poison smoke grenade.

I didn't get to warn the others before I was knocked unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh ohh...the gang's in trouble! <strong>

**Will Emmett and Jasper live up to their duty?**

**Next chapter tomorrow! Thanks for reading lovely's :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"_Who the hell are you?!"_

"_Get these cuffs off! Damn it, they took our guns!"_

"_Don't you touch her!"_

I felt someone roughly grab me by my shoulders and pull me up into a standing position. I stumbled and my head lolled to the side.

Everything hurt; my arms were sore, my stomach bruised, and both my nose and throat felt like they've been burned from the inside.

The same person continued to yank my hair away from my face and with a voice filled with venom, whispered, "If you try to pull any shit on me, I'm going to put a hole through each of your friends, _little girl_." To emphasize his threat, he dug the end of a gun into my middle.

His words had effectively woken me up, and I heavily lifted my head to take in my surroundings.

My eyes first met the eyes of my companions; each of them cuffed and further restrained by armed men pinning their struggling heads and bodies on the floor. In a panic, I immediately searched for a certain pair of brown eyes in the midst of them.

When Emmett didn't come to sight, I felt my shoulders relax and I let out a breath.

We were being held hostage in a large room that resembled a sort of lab. There were observation decks above, looking down into the room and at the lab tables and stretchers. Computers were scattered about, along with projectors. In one corner was a row of screens that captured different areas of the same cave our mission was located in.

At this exact moment I knew that this room was somewhere in the cavern, and my hopes of Emmett and Jasper finding us rose a bit higher.

"Get on your knees and put your hands behind your back." The man pushed me onto the cold ground and pulled something from his back pocket. He crouched behind me and took one of my wrists, confining it with a handcuff. He attached the other cuff to one of the lab tables instead of having someone else hold me down. When he stepped in front of me I was able to view his face.

The man was at the end of his young years, appearing to be in his late 30's or mid 40's. His hair was still a healthy, shiny jet black, though its shine is probably from the amount of gel that was caked into each strand. He wore a navy blue pinstriped suite with matching pants. A pair of darkly tinted sunglasses hung from his button up loosely.

The man turned back to the others. "Now that we got the…_little girl_ shut up, I'm going to ask politely_ each of you_, what you think you were doing here." I glared at his back in response to the creepy nickname he gave me. It almost seemed like the others did the same.

He stalked closer to them, starting at the end where Roman sat. "I'll begin with you…" His profile revealed a twisted smirk on his lips. My stomach began to churn and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for Emmett to come as soon as possible. "What's your name?" The man knelt down in front of Jenks, and motioned for the bastard holding him down to back off.

Jenks' eyes narrowed as he seethed "Piss off," at him. This only made the man chuckle and shake his head.

"I warned you what would happen if you misbehaved." He pointed a finger to his chin, feigning a thoughtful look. "Oh wait. No, I didn't. Well no matter. Let me show you instead."

Suddenly, two masked men stepped in front of me. One held my head forward and the other grasped my neck. Without warning, he slid something sharp into the skin above my collarbone and I felt the warmth of my own blood seep underneath my shirt. I didn't look at the wound, but from the horrified looks on the boys' faces told me it was bad. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. Instead, I glared at the two men with hate. They only held evil glints on their faces blankly before standing back up.

I closed my eyes to look for a plan that rested within my mind. It was next to impossible to concentrate, though, with the searing pain traveling deeper and deeper from my neck into my bones. I used my palm to cup and minimize the blood flow, but my efforts were futile as the liquid just kept streaming through my fingers. I felt my face strain, trying to ignore the burn, but my eyes remained shut to hide the pain from the others.

"What the hell? I'll kill you!" Jacob's voice was the first to burst through the deadly silence.

Once again, our anger fueled the man's amusement and he continued to chuckle to himself. "A stubborn one, she is. Maybe a deeper cut will do the trick? Or how about a bullet to her knee?" I could hear the sinister smile in his sinister voice.

"_Ragazzi_." He demanded. In response to the foreign word, I felt one of the two men at my sides grab my free arm. When I heard the cock of a gun and the shouts from my team, instinctively my eyes snapped open only to see the sight of both Edward and Jacob breaking free of their guards, forcing them down.

Their wrists were still handcuffed, but the fact didn't stop them from pouncing on the men next to me, knocking their heads on the hard ground. At the same time, Jenks hopped up and head-butt the distracted leader under the chin before coming to me. He removed his hands from his back, and my eyes widened slightly before I realized that I shouldn't be surprised that he had gotten himself free. In a rush, he used an object in his hand to unlock the cuffs around my wrist and table leg while Jacob and Edward stole the keys from the two unconscious guards. Without hesitation, Edward tore off his shirt and removed my blood stained hand from my cut before replacing it with the cloth. It still hurt. I squirmed and flinched the whole time, but I let him clean the wound. Jacob reappeared to smooth my hair and rub my back comfortingly.

The familiar sound of chuckles caused the four of us to freeze in place. "I guess I have gone about things the wrong way."

Soon the sound of agonized shrieks filled the room. We snapped our attention to the commotion to see that the man had gotten up and stabbed the two girls; one in the stomach and one on the leg. "That sounds much better." He laughed endlessly. This man was more than deranged. He turned to face us, now wearing a serious mask. "I asked you a question before, but now I think I am just going to answer it for you stupid kids." He said through the cries. Edward and Jacob moved to them but he shook his finger, clicking his tongue. He pulled out a pistol from his suit and pointed it at them until they returned to my side, Edward in front of me.

"Three or four years ago, I learned of a secret little _Academy_," he spat the word in disgust. "-that trains children to…destroy my miraculous invention. Since then, I've been working silently on a new project…to find the Academy's weaknesses and dispose of each and every single one of its rotten students." He spun around and crouched in front of the girls, caressing their faces with the tip of his pointer finger. He spoke quietly, "I think I will start with you sweethearts." A pout appeared on his face. "I'll make it quick; a fast shot through your brains. That is, unless you don't answer a few of my _questions_."

The girls whimpered helplessly, causing the rest of us to fume in anger. Jenks held us back, knowing that if we upset the monster in any way, we would all be slaughtered. From the glazed look in his eyes, I could tell that he was formulating an escape plan, but my heart dropped further every time he shook his head in disappoint.

"How did you find out about this _hidden_ location?" The man held his hand behind his ear. "What? You received anonymous calls at the Academy?" They cried and he chuckled. "Really? What person would travel all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? The only person I could think of is me…and my buddies down here."

_The only person I could think of is me… _

Shit.

_He played us._ I moved my frantic gaze to Jenks as he dropped a curse under his breath. He figured it out as well.

"It was quite easy, actually. I just had to threaten the right number out of one of the guards, and then I made a few short _anonymous calls _to the school." He grinned. "I didn't think it would work so flawlessly, though. Isn't the headmaster of the school supposed to be smart?" In reaction to the insults against our mentor, Edward and Jacob stomped closer to the man. They were stopped short when he pointed his gun to the far wall and shot. The sound reverberated through the room loudly, and a crack appeared where the bullet was lodged.

"Come any closer and I'll blow their heads off." His voice was deadly and he directed the gun back at the girls, silencing any protests and whimpers. When he felt that none of us would move, he turned back around. "Where were we? Ah, yes…the headmaster…hmm, what was his name again? I would like to meet him in person." His grin was sinister. I prayed that they wouldn't tell, but the consequences would be death. It's a loss either way.

The girls looked to us for the first time, pleading looks in their tear-filled eyes. I didn't know what to do; I had no plan. Whatever they saw in the other pairs of eyes caused them to resign and remain silent, besides their quiet sniffles. The man's expression morphed from amusement to fury in that instant.

"You won't say? Okay. That's perfectly fine. I'll just have to force it out of you." He walked hastily to one of the lab tables, moving around small objects. When he reappeared, he held a blade in his hand. "I warned you," he seethed at them before moving his blade-holding hand to one of their necks.

_I'm going to throw up. _I tightly shut my eyes and duck my head into Jacob's chest and grabbed Jenks' hand, unable to watch the gruesome scene.

Then, my prayers were answered.

A blinding flash fell upon the room at the same time a loud 'bang' was heard. On the ground next to me was an activated flash bang, an explosive stun grenade used to temporarily disorient people and fill their ears with a constant ringing.

"Edward! Bella!"

Emmett materialized through the bright light, carrying his sniper on his back. Suddenly his eyes shifted to something behind us and he charged forward. The sound of a body falling to the ground caused me to turn around. Emmett had shoved punched the other guards against the wall, knocking them out for now. Jacob stood up and brought me with him, keeping an arm protectively around my shoulders as I shakily got to my feet. The cut in my neck was starting to scream at me, but I bit the insides of my cheeks to divert the pain.

"_Che diavolo_!" We all turned to see the man squinting his eyes and jerking his gun in every direction. One hand was cupped over his right ear and his legs were bent, quivering. "_Ragazzi_! Come down here now! _Immediatamente_!" He dropped an object onto the floor when he finished speaking.

As if on cue, a group of men burst through the door. When they spotted the man struggling for his vision and hearing to return, they all shouted but one name, "Aro!" Anger flashed in each of their eyes and not a second later did they start charging at all of us. Jacob pushed me to the side and I stumbled over my feet. I looked up from the floor at the arms battle occurring. Jacob, Edward, Jenks, and Emmett were each trying to fight off one or more men at a time. I spotted Jasper doing the same.

My mind was reeling, unable to process the rapid events along with the pain and shouting nagging me in the background.

"Shit!" I scrambled to my feet and ran over to where the girls were still chained by the hands. Instinctively I reached for the guns that should have been in my holsters, but I cursed when I remembered that the Benedetto bastard had them confined as well. I looked around for anything sharp and then one of the girls pointed, "Over there!" I followed her trembling finger to where it lay on an unconscious body. Huffing, I crawled over and patted down the body until I heard the jingle of keys.

I got the cuffs open before a hand smacked heavily against my cheek. My head snapped to the side at the force.

"You stupid, _little girl_!" I was now being grabbed by the hair as Aro dragged me up from the roots. "I'm going to kill you!" he spat in my face.

"Bella!" I tried to look at the person who called my name, but Aro forced my jaw in place with the bruising pressure of his fingers.

"Get them out of here!" I cried out to them.

"Shut up!" He slapped my other cheek. My skin started to burn.

"Edward!"

"Bella, I can't- dammit!" I heard the slam of bodies on the ground. From the corner of my eye I saw the two girls being carried by strangers. They were kicking and scratching, but to no avail.

"You are going to die slowly. _Painfully_." My brain started to block his words.

"Go to hell," I hissed.

Another hit, another forming bruise. My first yelp of agony.

"Bella!" My name was yelled by multiple voices.

"Someone get her!"

"I can't-"

More fighting. More screaming.

"EVERYBODY LEAVE THIS ROOM OR I WILL KILL HER. _IL GIURO! I SWEAR_!"

Aro held his gun to my temple and moved us to the middle of the room, pronouncing his vow.

"You won't lay a damn finger on her!" I was able to see Jenks a mask of fury.

Aro cocked his gun, the telltale sound freezing everyone in the room.

"_Ragazzi_. Escort them out. _Immediatamente, per piacere_."

"Don't touch me!" Edward pushed one of the guards back and moved closer to where I was being held. I tried to will him back with my eyes, but he didn't listen. _Please._

A trigger was released. I watched, almost in slow motion, as a bullet raced from the muzzle of Aro's gun, and as it grazed through my shoulder, my blood trailing behind when it continued to travel past my body. I looked into the shocked eyes of my friends. I silently told them to leave. This time, they listened. _Thank you._ I continued to stare as each of them, including the girls, were forced out of the room, looking back over their shoulders to make sure I was still here. _I'll be fine, _I told them. Jenks was the last in line, and he locked eyes with mine. He nodded, his face blank, before stepping reluctantly further away from me.

"Hmm…"

I turned back to Aro as he trailed the back of his hand down the side of my face. I shivered in disgust. "You seem to be a favorite amongst the rest of them, huh, _little girl_?" his stale breath fanned across my face, and I had to swallow the bile that was climbing up my throat.

A glint off to the side of the room caught my eye. I tried, discreetly as possible, to identify the object, hoping against hope that it was a weapon I could use.

A breath left my nose when I recognized the button-release handle of my magnum.

"I wonder why they like you so much…you are nothing more than a- a _cagna_. _A bitch_." His words didn't register in my head as I tried to find the best weak spot open for me. "No matter. They will see you no more. You are dead, tonight." A grin stretched across his face, reaching his eyes.

Tired of his antics, I lifted my hand from my side and wrapped it behind his neck, his eyes widening in shock. I dug my fingers into the wound of his shoulder, a pressure point that can knock a person out temporarily. I pressed as hard as I could, until his eyes rolled back and his body sagged.

Without a second thought, I ran for my gun lying on one of the lab tables, along with the weapons of the others. I stuffed each one in my coat, holster, and around my back. When I turned back around, Benedetto was still on the ground and I rushed towards the door.

"Ah!" just as I passed his body, a hand shot out and grabbed my ankle, pulling me to the ground.

He appeared above me and straddled my legs while closing his fists around my neck.

"You're a stupid, stupid, little girl." He sneered and squeezed harder. My head was becoming light and my throat was tight. "I'll just kill you now." He let one hand go and punched my face with hard force. I scratched down the sides of his face and kicked my feet against his stomach. He didn't budge as he pulled his gun back out and pointed it to my stomach. Without notice he pressed the trigger and the loud sound rang in my ears, almost as loud as my scream. My head fell limp on my shoulder and my eyes closed on their own record.

He rolled off of me, and I so wanted to inhale the air deeply, but I couldn't as the pain from my torso spread throughout my body, reaching my fingertips and toes.

The sound of laughter filled my ears now, and I've become so tired by the sound that I almost missed the twitch of my fingers. I almost missed the absence of my own death through the pain and fear. That's when I remembered what I was wearing. _Bulletproof vest._

I still had a chance.

When I heard Aro stand up and adjust his attire, I removed my gun-clad hand from underneath my body. I kept my breaths short and quiet, while his were labored and heavy. My stiff arms straightened to point at his back. I didn't need the lock-on system for his unaware, slow moving body. I switched the safety off the gun, alerting him of my continuous presence.

When he turned back around to my living body, I didn't think as I shot through his heart.

I didn't think until I passed out. _Goodnight._

* * *

><p><strong>Oh man, was that intense or what?!<strong>

**Praise to Ren and her bad assery**

**And isn't Aro just a little bit more creepy here than in the films? I'm getting the shivers :P **

**Anyways, thanks for reading as always, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"_Bull's eye!" I dropped my gun to the grass and beamed at my mom and dad. _

"_I'm so proud of you, Bella!" My mother crouched down in front of me and pulled me tight to her chest._

"_Just like your sister." My dad patted my head with a grin. "Maybe one day, you'll help to save the world."_

_I was blushing and smiling and thinking of how great my future could be._

_The shrill of a phone ringing came from inside our house, and my mom rushed to pick it up._

_Dad turned back to me and went on with his praise, promising a reward for my success. _

_I told him I would make my choice later. _

_And then, my mother's cries were all we could hear._

_My dad took my hand and we quickly followed Mommy's voice into the kitchen, where she was sobbing and holding her phone away from her ear._

"_Honey, what's wrong?" My father laid a gentle palm behind my mother's shoulder._

_She only shook her head and held the phone out for him to take before hiding her tear-streaked face behind her hands._

_I watched in worry as my father listened to the other line and slowly his expression changed from concern to horror. I jumped when he dropped the phone on the floor and wrapped my mother in his arms. They cried together in front of the dinner table, while I observed in confusion. _

_Soon, their endless tears made me feel shaky and scared and I made my decision in a second. _

"_Dad? I want to have my reward now! I just want a hug! Daddy…?"_

_It was later at night when I figured it out; why Iris hasn't called home yet and why Mom and Dad started crying whenever I asked where she was…_

_I don't know why I did, but one day I had decided to bring up the silently forbidden subject to them._

_I paused on the staircase overlooking the forms of my mom and dad bustling around the kitchen. Mother was making the recently-made tradition of English muffins and tomato omelets for breakfast. It was a drastic change from our old spontaneous meals she would have prepared just a week before that day I saw them cry…_

_I took a deep breath before I asked my question with uncertain conviction. _

"_Iris is coming home next month, right?" _

_I don't know why I did it._

_Maybe it's because I was tired of having my parents ignore my thirteen year old self. _

_Maybe it's because this whole week just felt like an endless nightmarish dream._

_Or maybe I just needed the confirmation and let myself grieve. _

_But even though their bodies froze and their faces flashed with identical degrees of shock and anger and despair, I only pushed all of our limits further. _

"_It's going to be Christmas…she should be coming home from the academy, right?" My fingertips started to drum against the rail._

_My dad was the first to come back to life. He faced me with a pained face I've never seen, or ever wanted to see in his eyes again. _

"Bella_…"_

_And then I couldn't handle the truth, and suddenly I was fine with living in denial for the rest of my life. _

_So, I cried. _

_My parents held me that night while they confirmed what I'd been dreading. _

_My sweet, sweet sister was dead. _

_She wouldn't be coming home for Christmas. _

_They told me that the Academy had called to inform us that the seventeen year old, Iris Grace Swan of Class-X was reported dead that morning because of an rogue group of humanoids._

_The people who found her body told the school that Iris was killed while protecting a family under attack._

_Only one of them, their only son, survived to honor her courage._

_The tears were relentless in not only my eyes, but also my mom and dad's. _

_They cried for their dead daughter who had a future as bright as the sun._

_They cried for me; the daughter that was too young and too innocent to deserve this forever tragedy._

_The cried in apology for their behavior for the past few days I was forced to bear their pain and be the strong member of the family._

_A timeless moment later, the three of us had sobered up and retired to rest our exhausted bodies; but not before I was given the hug I didn't realize I was still craving._

_**~oOo~o~o~oOo~o~o~oOo~**_

I woke up with my arms clutching the air in front of me, in a virtual embrace. They fell limp as soon as I found that I'd been dreaming.

For the past year I've been sure that I kept that memory as far away from me as possible so I wouldn't feel _that_ again. _So much for those emotional walls._

"You're awake."

The relieved statement pulled me back to reality and my eyes were met with Jacob's concerned gaze.

"…How are you feeling?" He seemed hesitant to ask that question.

I shrugged.

With that tiny movement came immense pain all throughout my body.

"_Ow,"_ I hissed.

My neck pulsed heavily and my shoulder ached. As I took rapid breaths I felt my lungs tighten and my stomach sting.

Jacob fluttered his hands over me, not knowing if it was safe to touch. "Shit Bella, be careful. You just had your neck slashed and you got shot, _twice_."

With that word, shot, the events of our most recent mission flooded my mind. One in particular, caught my attention.

"Is he…Benedetto…dead?" I tested the word, not quite feeling anything outstanding as it came out of my mouth.

Jacob pursed his lips and confirmed the answer.

I nodded slowly; I had never killed a human being before, in fact I preferred to avoid any situation of that sort.

But I would do anything to avenge my sister's death.

At the thought of her death, I backtracked to the dream I woke up from. _How long have I been out?_

"Jacob?" He hummed in response. "What day is it?"

His face scrunched in confusion before saying, "November…16th… Why?"

_Of course. _

Iris' fourth anniversary. That's why I had that dream that I only get on the 16th of November.

I've been at the Academy for almost 6 months, yet the time just slipped past my mind.

"When can I get out of here?"

Jacob laughed, brightening up my slightly somber mood. "Nurse said whenever you're up to it. The scans she did sealed your wounds pretty cleanly; they just need to finish healing on their own."

"Hm. I think I'll just take my chance." I stretched my limbs, evaluating any serious damage or pain. My whole body was uncomfortable and sore and achy, but it was nothing I couldn't handle for a few days. I swung my legs over the side of the bed until my feet touched the cold floor.

Without even waiting for me to ask, Jacob held under my elbow for support and balance while his other hand splayed on my back.

"Thanks." I smiled as I stood up straight.

Back at our dorm, jacob and I watched sci-fi movies with separate tubs of ice cream in our laps. When I asked him where everyone else was, he told me that Jenks had gone down to discuss the mission with Sergeant Reid while Edward and Emmett went back to classes.

"How come you didn't go back to class?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Well no one wanted Nurse Platt to have to stay with you every night for almost a week, and I'm your _partner_, Bella. It's our responsibility to take care of each other."

His simple answer warmed my heart, it really did.

I was so thankful that after all his aversion to my presence, and resistance towards becoming friends, or even acquaintances, we were able to form a close relationship.

I laid my head on his shoulder and smiled. "Thank you, Jacob. For everything."

We continued that way, watching the screen and swallowing ice cream, until my eyes roamed over the clock.

_8:52 PM._

_It's late._

I sat upright and winced when the blood rushed back through my body.

"I have to go somewhere," I told him as I pulled on my coat. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

"Uh huh." Jacob's eyes were still on the television, only slightly un-focusing at my announcement.

A half hour after I left, I found myself sitting on the hill Edward had brought us to just before. Like that night, the stars were more than visible and the air was calm and still.

Every year on the memory of Iris' death, I would find someplace alone and talk to her about the year I spent without her.

Today, I could feel that the recount wouldn't be as depressing as the others.

_Hey, sis. I miss you. _I started off with the same declaration, only with little variation.

_I ran away from home…from mom and dad. I probably shouldn't have done it, but by doing so, I got accepted to the USAHD, and to Class-X nonetheless. _My smile was watery, slightly trembling at the desire for her being here with me, sharing my memories instead of being told them.

_I've come to love everyone here; Sergeant, Rima, Aria, Axel, Eli, and Aiden… I really wish you could be here. _

_I killed someone, Iris. I don't know how I feel about it, but maybe it was a good thing. Maybe I saved dozens of lives by doing so. _

_God, Iris, I just miss you so much…_

I was crying silently now, using my coat sleeve to absorb the emotions I couldn't.

"Bella?"

I gasped and my head shot up at the low, doubtful voice.

"Edward?" My voice shook. He immediately stepped closer into view, emerald eyes being lit by the stars. I tried to stifle my sniffles when he went to crouch down in front of me. I watched warily as his eyes slightly widen once he saw my flushed puffy face.

I choked on a sob I've been trying to hold back, and suddenly his hands were brushing at my teary face.

"Bella, what's going on with you?" His face was one of concern, but his eyes were warm and his fingers were gentle, so I couldn't help but let loose some of my tears.

"I'm sorry Edward- I just _miss_ her," I cried.

Then he pulled me into his chest and I buried my head in the space under his shoulder. Even though he had no idea what I was talking about, and even though I was still supposed to be angry with him, he put all that aside once again, and held me gently to him, without a question.

And it worked, he soothed me.

And I was almost too heartbroken and emotionally drained to realize that it was probably because he gave me the hug I didn't know I'd been craving.

* * *

><p><strong>:')<strong>

**More tomorrow ^.^**

**More tomorrow :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**SOO Sorry for having not posted since Wednesday! My laptop was having some issues and I had no idea how to fix it without having everything deleted.**

**So to compensate, i will post two chapters today and tomorrow!  
>Thanks for sticking with me :)<strong>

**Without further ado, here is chapter 17 :)**

* * *

><p>A week after Iris' anniversary and my little breakdown in front of Edward, I found myself getting ready for my return to classes.<p>

Before I was allowed back my normal schedule, I had two last check-ups with Nurse Platt regarding the injuries I bared from the last mission. She performed a final scan, sealing the healing process with advanced technology. Now, it felt as if I were never sliced with a blade or shot in the shoulder by the sadistic leader of the cave-lab.

Jacob stood by the front door, waiting for me to lace up my shoes and loosely tie my hair. Before we left, I waved a quick goodbye to Roman, who was sitting at the white dining table, drinking his usual black coffee.

The school day passed on as I remembered it to; Axel assisting our combat class, followed by the mundane history and humanoid anatomy courses. Weapon training with Price included his warning of the monthly presentations that would start again next week. Break rolled by, along with combat 2 and mission practice. Sergeant appointed several groups to embark on an assignment while he told Jacob and I to complete mission stimulations, after, of course, welcoming me back to the team.

After the seven class periods, we sat at a picnic table in the middle of one of the many quads on campus. I slumped back on my seat, thankful for the chance to relax after a long day back to training. We were quiet for a few minutes, just observing the other students chatting and walking by, breathing the cool air, until Jacob spoke up.

"Let's get out of here!"

I slowly turned my head to look at him. "Huh?"

"There's a big park, just outside of campus; I think you would enjoy it. It's nice to venture in town every now and then." He paused. "We can bring Edward and Em with us."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, caught off guard by his sudden energy. "Um…okay?"

He clapped and rubbed his palms together, almost devilishly. "Alrighty then. I'll call them up to meet us at the gates in an hour."

45 minutes later, the two of us waited at the entrance of the school, for the guys to show up. When they did, I was shocked to see Jenks trailing behind them.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Unfazed by my accusing tone, Jenks chortled and said, "Just going to the park, Sweets."

I gave him a disbelieving look and caught Edward rolling his eyes as he jerked a thumb behind him. "He found me, said he was 'bored,' and ended up following me here." Jenks continued laughing in the background. I sighed; my admittance to defeat, and turned to face Emmett, who looked almost as annoyed as everyone else.

"Hi."

He nodded down at me. "Sup."

"So, why exactly are we going to the park?" Edward cut in.

"_We_…are going to show Bella life outside these walls." Jacob stretched his arms out from his sides, gesturing to the school perimeter.

I ignored the sudden focus on me. "How long have you guys been at USAHD anyways?"

Jcaob had a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm 18…almost 4 years?"

"Same," Edward and Emmett answered together.

I nodded, thinking back on my half year here.

"We ready to go?" Jacob's eager voice broke through my mind.

I smiled. "Let's go."

To say the least, the park was beautiful.

Pure green grass covered the large area, sprinkled with the auburn, golden, and scarlet leaves falling from the surrounding trees. In the middle was a curved bridge standing over a calm, clear lake. Several trails led paths between trees, hills, and fields.

Tons of people gathered with their family and friends for picnics, fishing, and relaxation under the 3 o'clock sun. I could even recognize some students from USAHD scattered about.

I gasped and pointed my finger across the park. "I want to go there!"

The three of them followed my index and landed on the complex playground where handfuls of children were seen playing. Without waiting for an answer, I ran off in its direction, dodging unsuspecting individuals and hastily crossing the crowded bridge.

I went straight for the swings- my personal favorite. There were a set of 8; five of them being occupied by young children and toddlers. I sat in the cupped seat and pushed off with my feet.

I was immediately sent back a few years, to the times my family would take short weekend trips to the park in our neighborhood.

I swung high in the air- possibly higher than I've ever been before. But the feeling that you get when gravity pulls you back down- that never changes. And suddenly I was 12 years old again, with Iris giggling beside me as we held hands from different swings, but swinging together.

"_Whoever jumps shorter doesn't get a strawberry ice cream cone!" I yelled to the sky. I turned my head to the side and saw my sister's shoulders shake as she laughed. Her chocolate brown hair, identical to mine, flew back into her face when she swung back. _

"_Ready…"_

"_Set…"_

"_Go!" We shouted together. At the same time, we both launched out of our swings with as much power we could muster. _

_I lost. _

_We heard the ice-cream truck singing by, and our heads shot up. Iris grinned and ran towards the growing line full of children, leaving me to get up from my knees and sulk after her. _

_When it was my turn I bit my lip and glared at my sister, who was obliviously licking her cone._

_Then suddenly, an idea popped into my head and I smiled inwardly, as I handed the driver some money and took my purchase. _

_I watched smugly as Iris took in my desert, confusion appearing in her dark eyes. _

"Bella_? I thought you said the loser doesn't get strawberry ice cream…"_

"_Cones." I corrected. "Strawberry. Ice-cream. Cones." I annunciated each word with an evil smirk. _

_She glared. "I hate you."_

_Laughing, I yelled, "Race you back to the swings!"_

_Her 'hate' was soon forgotten and we resumed holding hands, swinging on our swings. _

"Who knew Bella was such a little kid on the inside?" I opened my eyes and spotted Jacob smirking below me.

"Shut up," I retorted. Once I was in the air again, I kicked my legs up and let go of the swing handles, throwing myself forward. My landing was clean, having been perfected throughout my childhood.

I suddenly paused and asked, "Where's Jenks?"

The three of them pointed to a bench near the jungle gym. My eyes scanned the area until they finally landed on him. He was resting with his hat covering his face, legs crossed. That is, until a little boy too short to reach the seat started jumping and grabbing onto Roman's suit. Without looking, he grabbed onto the kid's shoulder and pushed him down, muttering a curse before sitting up and removing his hat.

"Ah, hell." He groaned when he saw the kid on the dirt.

His eyes widened when he saw my fuming form. "Sorry, kid," he told the boy before he briskly stood up and made his way to where I stood, leaving the boy crying for his mother on the ground. "Damn runt," he grumbled. I slapped him on the shoulder. I heard the boys start laughing but I paid them no mind as I turned and marched to the wooden lunch tables set underneath the shade of trees.

Jacob and I had prepared sandwiches and store-bought muffins from the Academy's dining concourse. I ordered for one of the guys to spread the table cloth over the table as I unpacked the contents from my backpack.

The five of us dug into our light meal, randomly conversing with one another between bites.

"So…any of y'all got a lady waiting for you at home?" Leave it to Jenks to bring up awkward subjects. I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my chicken wrap, effectively occupying myself from Jenks' discussion.

"Nah..." was Jacob brief answer. Emmett responded in the same like, and soon we were waiting for Edward's answer.  
>With the tense air filling the atmosphere, I couldn't help but watch him warily from the corner of my eye.<p>

I watched as he sighed, his shoulder slumping by an inch, before answering an uncertain "No…"

I didn't know this called for a breath of relief or not. But then again…why should I be relieved?

Jenks must've caught Edward's hesitant voice, since he bombarded him with another persistent question. "Ah…so it's not one lady, but two? Three?"

Embarrassed by his lack of dignity, I gave him another hard smack on the back. "Jenks! Shut up!" I gave him a stern look and he raised his hands in surrender, before taking back his inquiry.

It didn't escape my notice when Edward didn't confirm or deny the last question, only sitting quietly as he watched the two of us banter.

I was promptly distracted when the familiar jingle of an ice cream truck rounded the nearby street. A smile instantly made itself known across my face and I shot from my seat, grabbing Emmett and Edward's arms while kicking Aiden in the back for him to get up.

"Come on, come on!" I urged them all in the direction of the truck while Jenks knowingly fished his suit for money.

"Thank you!" I sang, snatching the bills from his hand and breaking out in a sprint.

The ice-cream man asked for my order, and of course without giving it thought, I blurted out a request for a triple scoop strawberry ice-cream cone. When he came back, I eyed the desert in his hand hungrily and I threw all of Jenks' cash to the counter once I received my cone happily.

For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, we spent more time on the swings, each of the guys taking turns pushing me which soon boiled down to a contest of who-can-swing-Bella-the-highest. Of course, Jenks joined in on this game, getting a kick out of my protesting squeals.

When he received his victory, I was finally able to safely touch the ground, and our group went on a short hike up one of the trails shielded under baring trees and rocks.

The fun evening ended with us sitting at the edge of the bridge, our feet dangling over the side. The purple-pink sunset glowed and was dazzling in the way it reflected off of the clear water.  
>After a few relaxing minutes, I felt Jenks inch closer to me and put his mouth by my ear. What he whispered quietly left my spirits bitter and low.<p>

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

* * *

><p><strong>One more chapter later today...<strong>

**Thanks for reading, always **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Make sure it gets to them, Jenks,_ please_."

In my hand I gripped folded papers that contained the note I spent all night writing for my parents. In a nervous haste, I flattened the pieces to skim it over one last time before I had to seal them off.

_Mom and Dad,_

_First I want you guys to know that I'm fine- more than fine actually. _

_I'm sorry for running out on you like I did. _

_It was stupid, it was immature. But what I can't say is that I regret even a moment of it, because that would be a blatant lie. At the Academy I feel closer to Iris than I ever have since that day…_

_Everyone here has been so welcoming and attentive- Sergeant, Edward, Jacob, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice…_

_No. I don't regret meeting any of them, no matter how much I've been missing home. _

_Jenks' been keeping me safe, just as he always has and always will. Well, as long as I never miss a payment!_

_To be serious, I've been unsure whether or not I should tell you this, but…I took someone's life. I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear, but it was during a mission. He was our target and he was hurting my friends. His name was Aro, one of the leaders of the creation of humanoids. I hope you won't be too angry with me. We're one step closer to finishing this war. I know it's no excuse, but I've learned to be strong. _

_I really miss you both, I really, really do. _

_Oh yeah, I made it into Class-X! I know that doesn't make up for everything I've done, but I can feel Iris is with me, guiding me to all the right directions._

_So don't worry about me too much._

_I love you always,_

_Bella_

"Tell them I love them."

With a final press of my fingertips against the worn paper, I handed it over to Jenks.

He inclined his head with a somber expression. "Don't you worry, Sweets."

The two of us, along with Jacob, stood by the door of our entrance and the brisk wind pushed its way into the room.

With the mission over and my injuries healed, Jenks' stay here has come to an end.

I should've remembered it, I should've expected it. But his soothingly familiar presence had caused me to lock away the inevitable in the back of my mind.

A heavy breath escaped my lips and my now-empty hands clasped together in resign.

"Well…" I started softly. "I guess I'll see you soon."

I pressed my lips together and averted my gaze to the floor. Jacob's muscled arm managed to wrap around my shoulders and pull me close to his side in a comforting gesture. A smile threatened to cross my face but the looming departure clouded my thoughts instead. "I'm gonna miss you."

With trembling resolve I lifted my chin and stared into Jenks' twin umber eyes. He stared right back, and we kept each other's gaze until his seemed to snap.

And then I was ripped from Jacob's side and pulled into Jenks' embrace. I felt his lips firmly against the hair above my forehead; all gestures I never thought I'd see, let alone be the receiving end of. It was exactly because of this fact, that I closed my eyes shut and pressed my head to his chest, breathing in his gunpowder and home scent.

All too soon, gentle hands urged me back and suddenly Roman was level with me. He brushed an imaginary strand of hair away from my face, and I would have laughed at the awkward act of affection if it weren't because he was leaving.

"Be careful out there, you hear me?" He pointed a finger between my eyes. In obedience I nodded, fully bent on keeping my promise.

"And you," He glared over my shoulder. "You make sure she stays safe. Or I swear I will drop kick you into the deepest pits of Hell."

"I will," Jacob chuckled and came up behind me, playfully ruffling my hair.

Jenks nodded his head once before his eyes lightened. "Take care, son." He let out a sigh and moved from his crouch to stand straight. Over his shoulder, his leather jacket hung loosely from his finger.

"Alrighty." His other hand lifted to firmly place his overused cowboy hat atop his dark hair. "I'm off."

And with one fleeting wink, he turned on his heel and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"Bella, you're up."<p>

_Let's do this._

Today in armory, the class' presentations were due.

I carefully maneuvered myself around the mass of students, who leaned to the sides, making room for my legs to walk through.

When I reached Price at the front of the room, I gave him my written part of the assignment and he saluted while motioning for me to go ahead.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the inner-cushioned case where lay inside, my treasured gun. I unstrapped the weapon and almost reverently, pulled it out of its confines.  
>When I moved my gaze to the audience in front of me, I could see Jacob's head above the others. He gave me two thumbs up and smiled cheekily, waiting for me to enlighten the class. His encouragement boosted my confidence and I held up the gun for everyone to see.<p>

"This-" I cleared my throat. "This is the gun I've been specializing with for- well for ever since I could safely, and smartly, handle a gun. So basically, since I was 13."

"Explain to us exactly why you chose this gun." Price's voice caught my attention and I inwardly smirked at what they didn't yet know.

"There are _a lot _of reasons why I chose this Glock…"

For the rest of my presentation, I showed the class the different modifications that have been made to my gun. I knowingly smiled at their shocked but appreciative comments, and their admiration towards the very used, very advanced weapon. The display ended with an excited applause and an easy A from Price.

At the end of the semi-eventful school day, Jacob and I walked back to the dorms together only to separate once inside to our rooms.

"You got something in the mail today," he called before turning and shutting the door behind him.

Curious, I walked into my tidy bedroom and sure enough, a letter lay sealed in an envelope on top of my desk. Getting comfortable, I hung my coat on the back of the chair, rolled up the black sleeves of the school's sweater, and carelessly twisted my hair into a disarrayed bun. I sat on the padded seat and rolled it closer to my desk while turning on the silver lamp that bent over the center of the table.

Attentively, I ripped open the envelope and a single folded piece of paper floated down to the desk top. Almost hesitantly, as if a premonition hung in my mind, I opened the paper and scrolled my eyes through the words inked onto the page.

Without thinking the words slipped through my lips like an answered prayer.

"Mom…Dad…"

_Isabella Marie Swan!_

_I swear on the life of me that you will soon be the cause of…the death of me. _

_Do you have any idea how plagued I felt when I woke up to find that my beloved daughter had packed up her bags and left her home? Left her mother and her father to wonder where on Earth their child could be at this moment? What if she'd been hurt? What if she'd been killed by one of those things?_

_No, you don't know, and I'm so deeply hurt that you would force us to endure that feeling._

_Nonetheless, I'm so happy you sent us that letter, sweetie. I'm happy that you feel your sister with you and that you seem to have made good friends, but you having to…kill someone- that just proves why you shouldn't be there. I know your father and I have been hard on you about going to the Academy, which is why at the end of the semester, you are coming home. _

_I love you, see you soon._

_Mom_

"No, no, no, no…" Frantically I turned the page over to see the second part of the letter. My hands gripped the paper tightly and my teeth gnawed at my bottom lip in angst.

My eyes could barely focus on the words my father wrote.

_Bells,_

_I really wish you tried to find it in yourself to see our reasoning, and stay home. _

_I guess I was always waiting for this day to come, and knowing you, I didn't put enough effort in stopping you; simply because you are a force that cannot be stopped. _

_No matter how much your mother and I pushed against it, part of me always knew if we pushed you hard enough you would move to drastic measures. _

_And maybe some part of myself was hoping you would do just that. It would give you the escape from this half-life you've been living ever since your sister passed. _

_Though I've been wavering on the subject, your mother is planning on pulling you out of the Academy. She's still stuck in the dark place, Bella. _

_And some part of myself is being sucked back in too. _

_I've lost one daughter, Bella. I will not lose another._

_Charlie_

"Oh, God." My voice trembled and tears clouded my vision. I dropped the paper back onto the desk, as if it electrified my fingertips.

I didn't think. I didn't think my actions would cause _so_ much.

_I'm so deeply hurt that you would force us to endure that feeling._

_Some part of myself is being sucked back in too. _

And then my heart stopped.

_At the end of the semester, you are coming home._

Harsh breathing entered and passed through my nostrils.

_No, _I promised. _I won't._

* * *

><p><strong><em>thanks for reading<em>**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**I was sick . Don't hate me!**

* * *

><p>I unbuttoned the finger caps on my grey knit gloves and watched, mesmerized as tiny dots of snow latched onto my skin, only to melt not a second later. Light gusts of smoke caught my attention and I dropped my hand, momentarily forgetting about the white flakes and instead blew warm breath into the morning air, creating puffs of disappearing clouds. A content smile rested upon my chilled face.<p>

Winter has always been my favorite season. I enjoyed witnessing the drastic shifts earth took in response to its different position in space. I enjoyed observing how life slowly adjusts to the frozen water and brisk temperatures, how people bundled up and couples cuddled closer…

Snow is a rare sight to behold in Washington D.C. and past records have been reported to be much the same. And since it's such an unusual occurrence, the district predictably overreacted and forced all schools, including the academy, to close for the day.

Hence the reason why I'm currently sitting here, underneath the barren limbs of Edward's tree. With the owner beside me.

I shifted my head a smidge to peek at his face under the wool of my hat.

Edward sat comfortably with his legs crossed at the ankles and his back leaned up against the trunk of the tree. I almost mirrored his position except my legs were crossed Indian style. His head rested back, eyes closed and arms folded loosely over his chest, which continued to expand evenly.

I cast my look onto his upper body.

His open jacket and baggy t-shirt were oh so tempting in this frigid weather.

Unable to resist the twitching of my fingers any longer, I dug them into the piling snow and formed a lopsided globe on the palm of my hand. The snow immediately began to seep through the cloth of my gloves and icy water touched my bare skin. The sudden shock pulled the final straw of my indecision and I flung the ball forward.

I couldn't help but grin when my exceptional coordination landed the snow ball right in between Edward's shirt and skin.

It only took seconds, but it surely felt like forever in my giddy anticipation.

Edward's eyes snapped open just as the snow started to form a spreading dark spot in his white shirt. I burst out laughing and pointed to his chest.

"What the-" I watched through tears as he looked down, obviously confused. When he realized what I had done, he finished his sentence lamely. "-hell…" His eyebrows scrunched together and he looked up at my humored expression. "Really? Really Bella, is that how you wanna play?" His voice was completely serious but his face was completely mischievous. I grinned triumphantly.

It was when he moved to chunk up some snow that my eyes widened and I backed away. He smirked up at my alarmed face and held two snow balls. His left arm pulled back, gaining leverage for the launch.

"Wait wait wait!" I waved my hands frantically in front of my face.

I released a small portion of air when I saw Edward pause mid-throw. "I would like to propose a friendly truce." I relaxed one arm and made a show of dropping the ball of snow in my hand, and even went so far to stomp it down with my boot-clad foot. I smiled nervously at his contemplating face.

"Alright. Fine…"

I visibly relaxed when he went back to sit against the tree, tossing the snow ball back and forth with both hands.

I started walking back to my old spot in the snow when his low voice spoke again.

"On second thought…" He trailed off and so curiously, I looked up.

I was met with a clump of snow smacking against my face.

_Cold! _"Gah!"

I blindly swiped at my face, eager to get the rid of the ice cold. Of course, Edward was cracking himself up- I could even hear him slap his knee in hilarity.

And suddenly his hands replaced mine and he continued to brush the flurry from my eyes and cheeks. I opened one eye cautiously and peered up at his face. He had a look of concentration as he wiped his own mess. I held quiet and very still, but somehow his fingers were so warm in this so cold.

_He must have pretty good circulation._

But even the best circulation couldn't fight this cutting temperature. And I'm pretty sure he didn't even wear gloves today.

_Or maybe it's just him. _

No.

I squeezed both my eyes shut and only focused on my breathing- not on his face, his smell, or his abnormally warm hands.

Thankfully, said hands disappeared from my cheeks just a moment later after he brushed my hair from my face.

"Sorry about that," Edward chuckled. The puffs of air blew across my face. "I just couldn't resist."

His smile was cheeky and it made him look so much younger. I smiled ruefully in return.

"It's ok," I assured him with a finger to my chin. "I'll get you back."

His grin only grew wider.

* * *

><p>"Aro Volturi was a 37 year old Italian biological engineer- one of the best in the country. He moved to America 10 years ago, after his wife died." Sergeant paced with heavy footsteps, slowly across the floor. Most of the school was brought to the main building of USAHD, as ordered by the headmaster himself.<p>

Students sat in the balconies that wrapped around the room, going countless floors up and down. We all looked down to the same place, though- the stage where Sergeant was announcing the school's next moves.

"He said he created the humanoids," I called out from the ground floor. Sergeant stood right across from me, only 50 feet away. My voice echoed off the soundproof walls, but my focus wasn't thwarted even when I felt every single pair of eyes simultaneously stare at me.

"He _lied_," Sergeant said knowingly. His tone was an eerie calm. I raised a brow.

"Maybe not entirely." He turned back to the rest of the audience. "The roots of the humanoid were created by the hands of a- _great_ number of people. They call themselves the _Empire_." The word boomed and the room fell completely silent, all movement stopping at once.

"Aro may have taken_ part_ in the project, Ms. Swan," I blinked when he nodded his head at me. "That extent was not a lie."

I slumped back in my seat and crossed my arms. Edward nudged me and gave a slight smile. I rolled my eyes and refocused on Sergeant Reid.

"A Special Operations team scavenged the cave Ms. Swan's team raided. The place was wiped clean. It was almost like it never existed." My back immediately straightened. I probed Sergeant's grave face with my own concerned stare.

Gasps and murmurs arose in the air. I heard Edward turn and speak quietly in Jacob's ear. I broke my stare and looked over to the two of them. We gave each other the same 'what-the-hell-is-going-on' look, until teachers started shushing the students.

"Because of this calamity, all missions from here on out will be proceeded with cameras and microphones that the Academy will provide. No mission will be executed without them. We need all the facts, all the evidence. We need to keep the upper hand in this battle. We need to force them into the ground; six feet under if need be! Every bullet counts- so all of you better hit your targets in the bull's eye."

No one could deny the influence in his voice. We were being charged with an invisible need. People were standing up, pumping their fists and shouting words aflame. Even Jacob stood two seats from me, yelling, "Hell yeah! Beat those bastards!"

Sergeant stopped and faced the wall of students where I sat. "I need a team."

The deadly serious look never relaxed from his features.

Behind me, a group of students walked down the stairs and onto the floor next to the headmaster. I recognized the majority of them as Class-B shooters; a middle-class of sorts. The five of them bowed and saluted to Sergeant, who repeated the gesture. He started talking to them, endorsing them in an urgent flow of words. I strained my ears to listen in on the private conversation, but the chants from the other student's made doing so impossible. Sighing, I plopped back down to my chair. I wanted to know exactly what was going on and what I could do to help resolve this complication.

In the back of my mind, the letter from my parent's began to nag at me. Not that it ever stopped. All of a sudden, I felt like everything going on, was just too much. I couldn't focus on one thing, because the other would just pop back into my head much like what's happening now.

_At the end of the semester, you are coming home._

I huffed in irritation. But my annoyed temper undoubtedly stemmed from the creeping panic that constantly threatened to surface.

Something lightly touched my elbow. I snapped out of my tense thoughts and met the warm green eyes of Edward. "You okay?" He asked.

Two words, so simple in their order. Yet I couldn't give him an answer.

* * *

><p>"You shouldn't have let them go," Edward's deep voice scolded Sergeant as respectfully as he could.<p>

The four of us, Jacob included, were watching a projection of the occurring Class-B mission. Out of the five, only three stood fighting and even they were enduring their own injuries. My heart pounded with worry. The students were battling against a group of roaming humanoids found near the border of the city.

"Everyone needs to train. They've done this before," Sergeant's voice came out even and reassuring.

"That's what the simulations are for!"

"It's not the same as the real thing. They've fought real humanoids before, anyway."

"Look at them!"

"Edward, stop." I said with a glare. "Sergeant's right. Everyone needs to be up to date with the reality of them. You could only be challenged by simulations for so long."

Just then, a loud grunt came from the speakers and we dropped our angry stares to watch the scene.

My breath caught at the site of one of the guys being taken down. The remaining two fought with a new burst of energy.

"Dammit," I heard Sergeant whisper. This was it- I changed my mind.

_At the end of the semester, you are coming home._

"Bring me down there."

Three heads snapped to me in shock. I raised a brow and turned to a man standing outside the mission surveillance room.

"Get a helicopter ready for me ASAP."

_Sorry mom. _

_Sorry dad._

I won't be coming home anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for staying with me, if you have :) I really appreciate it and I'm really sorry for breaking my promise! I'm loading another chapter RIGHT NOW! <strong>

**Have a wonderful day**

**And for those of you caught up in the snow storm, Juno (like me), stay safe, and stay warm. I hope my words can keep you company.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Wait, Bella!" Sergeant's voice boomed off the underground walls. I ignored his calls and sped up, closing the distance between me and the surveillance guard. He seemed to grow more and more hesitant; pausing and turning back slightly whenever the headmaster ordered for us to stop. I rushed to his side and whispered, "Don't worry about him. He just wants me to stay here."

He looked unconvinced. "And maybe that's a good idea." His resistance caused me to roll my eyes.

"Well it _would_ be ideal- if I were that type of person."

His pace was now quickening to match mine.

"Type of person?"

I nodded. "The type of person who would leave someone they know for the _authorities_ to handle."

I cast a side glance at the tall man. His unfocused eyes suggested an internal battle.

With a sigh I said, "I'll take full responsibility if this bites us in the ass." With that, I paced ahead, overtaking his lead.

A golden-yellow light filtered the path and I knew we were close. I could hear the faint taps of the guard's heels a few feet behind me.

"Get me an earpiece," I ordered over my shoulder.

I walked to the far wall in the huge garage-like room and pulled off one of the parachute packages.

As I was strapping and buckling on the backpack, deep voices filled the room and a pair of feet stilled next to mine. I looked up.

I was surprised to see Jacob securing his own pack. He was peering down at me with a somewhat exasperated look in his eyes. The emotion quickly left his face though, and he patted me hard on the back.

"Come on." His back turned to me and he sauntered to where Sergeant stood, arguing into a walkie talkie, Edward fixed at his side.

Sergeant looked up from his heated argument and met my eyes. My steps significantly slowed when he solemnly shook his head. "I don't like this Bella…"

My teeth sunk into my lip nervously. "You don't have to." I locked eyes with Edward's, who only shrugged halfheartedly.

Out of nowhere, an arm slung over my shoulder pulled me in close.

"She'll be fine, Serg. I'm going down with her." Jacob smiled confidently.

Beside him I cautiously eyed Edward, who look conflicted between worry and annoyance. His face was scrunched together and his hands formed fists at his sides. I was ready to confront him when Sergeant spoke up.

"Okay…okay," he nodded to himself. "Get on the helicopter." He waved his arm over to the guard who now stood by the panel.

Jacob stepped in front of me, blocking my view of everything but his chest. He grabbed my ear in between his fingers and pushed something in.

"What are you-" I wrapped my hand around his wrist and attempted to push it away but he took it with his, stilling my resistance.

"Ear buds." He let go of my hand and tapped the headpiece attached to his own ear. "Ready?" he mussed my hair.

"Of course."

"You two hear me?" Sergeant's voice muffled through the buds in my ears, and hopefully Jacob's as well. I turned my head to his for confirmation. He gave me a thumbs up.

"Yeah we hear you."

"Good. About 2 miles ahead you'll find the B-students; the three from earlier are still up and moving. The other two need medical attention. We need one of you to help them out while one holds the droids back."

I looked to my partner. His black hair blew in his eyes from the wind of the departing copter. "Jacob?"

"I'll take the humanoids," he said without looking.

I focused back on the other line. "You got that?"

Sergeant replied in the affirmative.

"Alright. Let's do this." This time Jacob turned back to me and waved his hand over.

For forty five minutes we traveled to the mission area until the sight of bodies on the ground slowed our pace.

"Dammit," Jacob muttered. He then took my arm and pushed me in the direction of the bodies.

"Bella! Go get those guys stable while I search for the others."

Turns out he didn't have to go looking. A blonde haired "female" flew across the dry field and crashed into me, knocking me to the ground. I landed with a grunt. Thankfully the weight disappeared when Jacob shot the thing in the back of its head. He swiftly proceeded to kick the body off me and he dropped a hand for me to take.

"Thanks." I brushed the dirt off my pants. "Go!"

In the distance another silhouette appeared to be coming at an inhuman speed. Jacob nodded his head, patted my back, and ran towards the figure with his pistol in hand.

"Okay," looking back at the immobile heaps on the ground, I felt myself grow sick. Grimacing, I started my way over as I switched the power on the headset back on. Static was all I could hear, but it gradually faded and I soon heard the familiar bustling sounds of the USAHD headquarters.

"Serg.?"

"It's me," a deep voice answered.

"Edward?" I bit my lip.

"Get to the bodies, Bella," he curtly replied. _What the heck is his problem?_ But it wasn't the time to mull over such trivial things.

I stopped my walking as soon as I reached the guys lying limp on the ground. Right away I could see the faint rise and fall of his shoulders and I released a weighted breath.

"Can you see this?"

"I can but try to move the camera a little to the right so we can get a view of the whole body."

I did as he told and adjusted the small lens on my jacket, faintly listening to the murmur of discussion on Edward's line.

A loud bang of gunshot suddenly invaded the voices and my head snapped up on instinct.

"Great," I grumbled.

Around 200 feet away, Jacob and the three other students stood as a barricade between a growing amount of humanoids and me- not to mention the pair of unconscious guys I had to start patching up. Every nerve in my body and every thought in my mind urged me to go help the front line even though the boys were clearly holding their own. Swift kicks and bullets hit their marks, but the main obstacle was the seemingly indestructible material and endless reinforcements.

_Shoot for the brain! _I wanted to yell at them, but that would only make our situation more drastic from the unwanted enemy's attention. So focusing on the task at hand, I averted my attention from the fight and talked into the receiver.

"Gently maneuver him onto his back, but make sure his upper body is slightly elevated." Edward must have had connected another mic to Nurse Platt for her to assist me in assisting my school mates.

Taking more caution than I ever have in my life, I slowly moved the guy from his side to rest his back on a long, smooth rock. Dirt covered half of his dark complexion- and so did his own blood. My stomach rolled at the sight. I've killed dozens before, but those were_ robots_- chunks of fleshy metal brought to "life" with a nano chip. They don't have any blood, or any life source running through their non-existent veins. The sight of someone's blood running out of their own flesh is one I would soon have to adjust to.

"Good, good," Nurse Platt's approval freed a still breath from my throat.

And then it caught.

"He- he has a cut down his arm!" My eyes traveled over the long slash that ran from his bicep to the space just above his wrist. Some of it was crest with dirt. I was no nurse, but I knew that couldn't do any good.

"Yes, I see…"

Another crash caught my attention and I looked up to see two humanoids pounce on Jacob. My heart was beginning to pound for two reasons now.

"Hurry!" I urged nervously. Behind me I heard Jacob shout that he was okay as he resumed the barricade.

Nurse Platt hummed calmly on the other end. I was growing impatient.

"From the looks of it, the wound doesn't look to deep. It won't require any stitches, but the real problem here is the bump that I see on his head. It can be a concussion."

Obediently I cleaned the cut as best I could with my clean t-shirt and alcohol pads Sergeant gave me. Back on the helicopter I snagged one of the two first aid kits, knowing it would be a necessity. I pulled it from my belt loop and took out the roll of gauze and medical tape.

"Bella!"

The shouts came from my earpiece and from behind me. Instantly I sprung into a defensive position facing the others.

What puzzled me was the fact that Jacob was currently sprinting the empty distance between us. _Empty_. When he waved his hand frantically in a motion I couldn't recognize, I understood I had made a wrong move.

"Bella turn around." Nurse Platt's sweet and calm voice was replaced with the cold yet concerned one of Edward.

Spinning around, I held my revolver up, ready to take the shot.

But I was puzzled once again when the enemy paused a yard away. Jacob ran ahead, winding me- but he was stopped with a quick hand to his wrist.

"Which one of you wants to die first?"

Oh hell.

_Did it just talk?!_

* * *

><p><strong>;)<strong>

**Next chapter TODAY!**


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21.**

A smirk rested upon the…woman's face. She winked.

_Wait…_ That wasn't a wink. From my position about 10 feet away from her, a red dot was visible in the middle of what should be a left eye. The crazy thing was that it was a lens surround by a round sheath of metal- like one of those prosthetic eyes rich blind people sometimes get. Except this one looked extreme and robotic; the red pupil almost looked as if it could shoot a laser out at any moment. The left half of her body was a sleeve of armor, unlike a humanoid's, whose body mirrored human flesh.

"Bella." Sergeant's tone took one of authority, rumbling in my ear drum. I made a low noise in acknowledgement. "Move the camera up a bit."

Cautiously, I did as told. I gnawed my lip when I watched the woman's eyes glance down to the small camera eye and up to my face. Her eyes narrowed.

"So…who's it going to be? Pretty boy or little girl?" I internally cringed at the familiar nickname.

Seconds passed before I heard Edward's voice. "Jacob, you take the girl and Bella- get the others to safety."

My eyes flitted to where Jacob stood. His wrist was still ensnared in the woman's tight grasp, but his eyes droned into her head and body, calculating. He gave his head the slightest of nods and I immediately understood. When his brown eyes, darkened with malice, met mine in a fleeting look of agreement, I unfroze from my position and took off in a run towards the unconscious bodies off to the side. From the corner of my eye Jacob pulled out a pistol from under his sleeve. He pointed it to the woman's arm and fired.

I almost stumbled. _Blood._

"Are you getting this?" I spoke into the mic as I stopped over the two students.

My head turned back abruptly when the woman let loose a shrill growl. She sneered at Jacob and lunged. Thankfully, he ducked just in time.

On the other side of the dry field the three Class-B students were still fighting back waves of humanoids.

With the relentless bots, two limp bodies, and a new form of enemy, my blood rushed and my heart pumped.

Fear, confusion, anger, excitement- all bundled together in a chaos of baffled adrenaline.

A different kind of adrenaline.

"Bella, focus." Axel's voice came, concerned and serious.

"Right. Sorry," I paused. "I don't know how to help them."

"That's why I'm here, dear."

"Nurse?"

"First, you need to get them to a secure place. Don't stay stuck in the midst of all that battle."

"Ok, but you said he has a concussion. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to move people with concussions," I pointed out.

"That's the tricky part, hon. It's more important to get you out of harm's way."

After a list of protocols I slipped my arms underneath the knees and back of the boy without a concussion. Nurse informed me that he appeared fine- breathing with no major injuries.

About a hundred feet away was a group of large boulders, which would serve as our cover. With a deep breath I ran across, making sure not to jostle the boy's blonde head too much. His body was heavy, as expected, but the continuous rush of adrenaline kept my arms from aching and my legs moving.

Carefully, I laid him down on a patch of weeds. _Better than concrete._

With a huff I stood back up and ran back to the remaining body. He was much heavier than the blonde guy with his mass of muscle and tall stature. Before lifting him up I closed my eyes and prayed for all the strength I could possibly muster.

"Damn," I strained.

Edward must have heard my struggles. "Keep him steady."

I couldn't run like I did with the other guy, so I kept my walk powered and smooth.

I was more than halfway to the boulders when Edward yelled at me to turn to my right.

"Damn it!" A bulky droid must have snuck pass the group and was now running in my direction.

Before it could reach me, I laid the dark-skinned boy on the ground with his head facing away from the oncoming danger.

I patted my pockets down until I felt the outline of my revolver. I pulled it out and stood, positioned protectively in front of my helpless schoolmate.

The humanoid was charging at an inhuman speed. When he reached me I raised my gun, ready to shoot.

Then an ear piercing noise exploded in my ear, causing me to scream in pain and drop to my knees. I felt myself being knocked onto my back, but all I could focus on was getting rid of the deafening blare.

Behind me I just barely hear the low-pitched shouts from Jacob throat, and it suddenly clicked together.

Pinned underneath the humanoid, I shoved his head away with one hand and yanked off my headset and its cords from myself with the other.

Sweet relief filled me when the earsplitting sounds were removed along with them. A low ringing still invaded my sense of hearing, but it was tolerable.

I gripped the solid upper arms of the droid and kneed its midsection. I heard the slight bending of metal and I pushed harder against the weakening area. I managed to shove it off of my chest and I rolled over on top, reversing our position.

I looked up and saw that the half-woman destroyed Aiden's camera lens and connector; probably the reason behind the deafening noise. It lay strewn across the dirt under Aiden's feet as he threw hard punches in the fleshy areas of our new enemy.

Pressing the button on the handle of the gun, the golden blade slid down and into my palm. I flipped it upside down and slammed it into the droid's torso while cocking the revolver, pointing it to its head, and finally pulling the trigger.

Light smoke snaked into the air from the muzzle so I blew it away before placing the weapon in my back pocket.

Without skipping a beat I slipped the Class-B student back into my arms and closed the distance between us and the boulders. Once I set him down on the patch of weeds next to his sleeping blonde partner, I whistled with my two fingers for Jacob. With the woman's wrists locked in his fists he snapped his head to me just as I threw a henbane grenade to him.

As I ran to the other side of the field for the other guys I felt much-needed relief when the tell-tale explosion went off behind me. I knew Jacob was following close behind now.

One of the guys waved us over. I slid between the three of them, Glock in hand.

"What's wrong?" My voice came out sounding breathless. Using the lock-on system, I took out two moving targets before I was able to notice the tall freckled student's confusion. The oncoming band of humanoids suddenly stopped in their tracks and retaliated, moving back instead of pushing forward.

My stress level was reaching its peak.

Then I shook my head, causing my hair to fall loose from its ponytail. They were gone, and we had other things to take care of. Giving the odd sight one last glance, I turned around and started walking back to the weeds.

"Come on," I heard Jacob order the others quietly.

"Do any of you have a walkie talkie?" I asked as the five of us looked down at the two unconscious bodies.

The guy with freckles apparently had an uncle who studied medicine and he knew to check their vitals and keep them slightly elevated to keep up circulation. Other than that, no one wanted to move the bodies and potentially make matters worse. So basically, we were stranded here, in the middle of nowhere, until someone noticed our prolonged absence or if we could find a means to communicate back to headquarters.

And this is why I allowed a small grin on my face when the guy with glasses handed me the requested device.

_Thank you, Lord!_

An hour later one of the school's limited emergency 'copters arrived at the sight and picked up the bodies in separate gurneys while the rest of us boarded a normal helicopter. Along with us, they collected the unknown woman's body and encased it in bulletproof glass.

As we made our way back to the Academy, the suspicious scene from earlier kept playing in my mind, trying to fit the pieces that led to the answer. Nothing fit in my mind, which was starting to pound more than before.

Then all the tension eased off my shoulders when I felt Jacob rest his arm across my shoulders and pull my head down gently into the crook of his neck.

"Sleep," he whispered warmly in my hair. "We'll talk to Sergeant about this later. So don't worry and go to sleep." He smoothed my hair back and laid his cheek on my head, breathing softly and comfortably.

I drifted without a second thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Bella. <strong>

**Just reading over this chapter got me feeling stressed too .**

**One more chapter for today to make up for all that I missed :)**

**Thanks for reading **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"Thank God!"

Strong arms wrapped too tightly around me and I was engulfed in the smell of soap, cologne, and warmth.

To say I was slightly muddled by Edward's constantly changing behavior towards me was an understatement. One minute he's blunt and curt, and the next he's holding me so close.

Yup, my stress levels were beginning to sky rocket.

Just to avoid extensive throbbing in my brain, I ignored his hot and cold attitude and laughed halfheartedly.

"Hi." I pulled away from his chest but he kept his palms on my shoulders and searched my eyes until he finally let go with a sigh.

"What happened out there?" he probed intensely. Hints of his temper darkened his eyes and creased his face. I took a cautious step backwards and was met with another broad chest.

Jacob put his arm around me- his signature gesture of support and or comfort- and looked at Edward with a pensive face. "Nothing. We're fine " he answered for me. Edward stiffened and narrowed his eyes at my partner.

"What the hell happened to our connection? We stopped hearing and seeing you guys. Sergeant's checking the wires and footage right now." His cold glare stayed on Jacob.

"Yeah, something came up. It was a woman-"

"Isabella! Thank goodness!" I was yanked from under Jacob's arm and into Nurse Platt's soft plump embrace.

I should invest in a shirt that says, _"Don't pull me. Don't Touch me. Thank you._"

"I was so worried for you, sweetheart. When that screen turned black and the microphone shut down…" she closed her eyes and shook her head. Then they reopened and she gave me a warm smile. "I'm just glad you're okay." Her hand patted my cheek delicately.

I couldn't stop the pull on the corners of my lips. Nurse Platt's affection wasn't so bad.

"Come on, all of you. Sergeant's waiting." She led the three of us and the three Class-B students to the computer center where large screens covered an extensive wall.

Sergeant Reid hunched over the main desk where five monitors provided as one screen. Each one showed different angles and events from the mission that went down today. The look on his face as he observed the play back meant nothing but business.

Nurse Platt lightly touched the back of my shoulder. "I'm going to check on that poor boy now, but I'm sure you did a great job at keeping him stabilized. I'll see you later sweetie."

Sergeant looked up at the group of us as soon as she left. Edward moved to stand beside him.

"You guys made it out alright?" our headmaster stood up and clasped his hands behind his back.

We nodded silently.

"The connection got cut- I'm assuming that was due to the unidentified threat?"

When we confirmed his prediction he let out a deep sigh. "Okay. Bella and Jacob-good work today. Same for Class-B. Go back to your dorms; we'll be operating on the woman tonight and have an announcement made as soon as we figure this thing out."

Somehow Sergeant looked older; tired. But he closed his eyes and turned his backs on us, dismissing us from further discussion.

* * *

><p>For some reason, Edward followed Jacob and I back to our building, but none of us said a word.<p>

Once we arrived, Jacob headed straight for our freezer. I plopped down on the couch and kicked my feet onto the coffee table, crossing them at the ankles. When Jacob walked back into the room he threw me a tub of our favorite ice cream and sat down next to me, holding the spoons.

Then, I noticed the awkward presence that loomed by the door.

"Want some?" I held out a spoon, tentatively. He strode forward, boots thudding on the tiled floor, and took the cold utensil from my hand while taking a seat on my other side.

The three of us relished in the creamy dessert until the container was empty except for the small puddle of sticky strawberry syrup.

Jacob leaned back and stretched his arms. "I'm gonna hit the shower," he yawned and got up.

When the bathroom door shut and the spray of water sounded throughout the dorm, the air of awkwardness made itself known once again.

I looked around the room, at anything but the person sitting next to me. "…I'm just gonna put these in the sink." I picked up the discarded spoons and trailed into the kitchen, finally able to breathe.

I dropped the spoons into the sink, creating a clatter of noise to disperse the tension.

I had to mentally prepare myself before re-entering the living room again.

Edward sat with his elbows on his knees. His emerald eyes kept their focus on me. My hands nervously wrung themselves together and I bit my lip.

"What's up?" I decided to ask.

He only gave me a shrug. And then I was fed up.

"Okay…"

All the events that occurred in the past 24 hours invaded my mind- the _human_ humanoid, the boy with a concussion, Edward's infuriating behavior…

I just snapped.

"Can I ask you one thing?" He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "Why are you being like this? Just a few hours ago you barely wanted to talk to me and then you hug me and tell me that you're happy I'm ok. And_ now_, you're back to being a _jerk_ and my head is _constantly_ aching."

He looked taken aback to say the least.

"What are we even doing here? Are we friends or are you too busy PMS-ing? Because I have other things to stress over and I _don't_ need your out of proportion mood swings added to that mix!"

He warily got up from the couch with his palms facing me.

"Look, I'm sorry that I'm giving you a hard time- that's the last thing I want. I'm just trying to figure things out…" He took a step closer to me and his warm cinnamon-y scent wafted up to my face. Like magic, some of my stress vanished.

And then they doubled the second he rested his hands on my shoulders.

_Yup, I'm going to need that shirt- ASAP_.

I stepped out of his sweet grasp. "Why were you even mad at me earlier?"

A frustrated look crossed his face. "I don't know…you were volunteering yourself to be put in danger- and then that_ thing_ came out of nowhere and our connection got lost and I lost your voice…"

I almost reached my fingers out to smooth away the crease that formed on his forehead. Almost.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Ignoring my resisting arms that tried to push him away, Edward wound his around me in another too tight embrace. One hand rubbed my back- I don't know whether it was for his comfort or mine- while the other created a warm spot on my waist.

My heart fluttered and my palms sweat. My head continued to pound and throb.

Maybe this was a different kind of adrenaline. Again.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when he spoke softly.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You make me feel so…protective of you. I don't mean to hurt you." His voice lulled gently into my ear and he just sounded so sincere. My eyes closed on their own accord and my head lay against his chest, but the release from one sense eased the throbbing.

"You don't have to worry about protecting her. That's my job- and I do it just fine."

Without turning around the smell of freshly shampooed hair and the feel of muggy water registered and alerted me of the vibrating presence. My head snapped to the little corridor at the back of the room as I roughly pushed Edward away.

Jacob stood outside the door, arms crossed and a towel tied around his waist. His jaw was set, unamused, and impossibly serious. But, his glare was only focused on the man beside me. Jacob nodded with his chin in the direction of his old bedroom. "We need to talk."

His gaze moved to me. "You should probably leave or something."

Edward's hard glare returned and took residence on his all-man face. "No, I think _you_ should leave and let _me_ talk to her for a while. You live under the _same damn roo_f anyway." His voice was coated in bitter venom. I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

Wanting to buffer as much violence as possible, I told them I would take my turn in the shower, just so I could be here if a fight broke out. But I didn't tell them that last part.

After a moment of contemplation, Aiden stiffly nodded his compliance and moved out of the way of the bathroom entrance. I cast one last look at Edward, who smiled apologetically and strode towards my irritated roommate. When his back faced me, I glanced up at Jacob and cautioned him with my eyes. Right as he went to close his door, he looked over his shoulder and warned, "Don't get mad if you hear something you don't like."

Even through the steady stream of water and through the bathroom walls, I could hear the muted voices arguing in the room across the hall.

_I should have just left, like Jacob said…_

"What the hell do you think you're doing, _Cullen_?"

"What? _You're _the one who keeps trying to play boyfriend with her. You're like a damn piece of gum with the way you stick yourself to her side all the damn time."

"Don't play with her, man. Don't. She has enough crap on her plate."

_Crap._

A few weeks ago, I confessed to Jacob what happened in my past. I just _really_ hoped he wouldn't spew that stuff out in his anger.

"_Play_ with her? I'm not playing some game, Jacob Black."

"The hell you aren't!" _Thud._

Edward's voice grew defensive. "I'm just trying to figure things out…"

"Then please, _enlighten _me."

A deep inhale of oxygen.

"She reminds me of my parents."

Silence.

"Your…parents…"

"Well, more like what _happened _to them." Edward's voice was quiet, but not enough so that the water drowned him out. "They were killed by one of those things."

"Shit."

Another slow inhale.

"…And I had a sister."

…_What?_

I froze under the flow of water and strained my ears to listen in on their talk more closely.

"Shit, don't tell me-"

"My mom was pregnant. 7 months, but barely showing. We had a nursery, a car booster- everything. I was so excited. I was going to be a big brother."

The patter of water hitting the shower floor filled my eardrums.

"I guess my protective feelings for my sister who wasn't even born yet moved on to Bella."

"But that's not _all_ you feel. At the least, you don't look at Bella as a _sister_."

Silence.

I took that as a sign to move, so I turned off the steaming water, and briskly changed into some sweats and a t-shirt. I inched to open the bathroom door warily.

"-don't make any moves, Edward. She's not ready for this yet." _Ready for what?_

"You have no right to decide that for her."

_Maybe I should've taken a longer shower…_

"_You_ have no right to decide _anything_ when you keep messing with her head and giving her mixed signals!"

_This is awkward._

I couldn't stand the cringe-worthy awkwardness, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Shut up, because I'm out of the shower!" I waited a second before taking off to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I crashed onto my bed and looked up at the ceiling in a daze, with an ever-throbbing head.

…_But that's not all you feel. _

_At the least, you don't look at Bella as a sister._

"I wish you were here, _Iris_."

* * *

><p><strong>So things are getting tense, not only in the dangerous, humanoid world, but Bella's crazy confusing personal world. <strong>

**Next chapter...sometime this week *runs for cover***

**Remember I said after chapter 20 I'd only be posting once or twice a week?**

**Well that's going into effect now. **

**Sorry!**

**Thanks for reading you beautiful people you! :) 3**

**Don't forget to give me feedback. I really love hearing what you guys think :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"What did you _do_ to them?" Alice's whisper was full of excitement and suspicion.

I rolled my eyes and went back to stretching.

"They're practically your slaves," she mused. "I mean, they never leave your side!"

_Ugh. _For the past week, Edward and Jacob took it upon themselves to escort me to all of my classes and sit with me during lunch. The only time I caught a break from their overbearing presence was when I used the bathroom. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to follow me in there too.

"You're so lucky…"

Now this got my attention.

I raised a brow at Alice's mission partner, Rose.

"Lucky!" I scoffed. "More like under watch by two hawks."

My two girl-friends blanched. Alice sucked in a breath between her teeth.

"You're crazy! You got two guys- no, wait, let me rephrase- you got two _attractive_ guys- chasing you around like lost puppies." She swept her short hair over her shoulder and looked behind her, where said "attractive guys" stood watching my every move.

It was borderline creepy.

And just plain annoying.

Alice sighed; a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. "Sucks being a hopeless romantic when your _best friend_ can't open her eyes to see the two hot guys that want to grant her _every wish_!"

Half of the class had started staring at us. Including my "slaves," as Alice put it.

I glanced behind her and internally groaned. "Oh, I can definitely see them…" I murmured as I eyed the two boys stalk over.

"Let's go, Bella."

Like I said. Two hawks.

* * *

><p>"You know you guys don't have to keep following me around everywhere…"<p>

The three of us sat in the cafeteria, at a table suspended to the side. Jacob put his burger down.

"I don't follow you around. We have the same schedule, _idiot_. It's him that keeps stalking you." He pointedly glared at Edward, who was picking at his plate of pasta next to me.

"Ok," I amended. "But you keep breathing down my neck too."

Jacob huffed. "Well it's not without reason," I heard him mutter.

I turned to Edward. "You don't have to be with me all the time. I am perfectly capable of getting myself to and from class."

"Don't worry about it, Bella." His coffee eyes looked into mine. "I do it 'cause I want to. I _like_ being around you."

The throbbing in my head took its leave a few days ago.

But the flutters in my stomach seemed to want to stay. And grow too, for that matter.

"Okay, time to go." Jacob pulled me up by my arm, causing the fluttery feelings to vanish.

I looked helplessly back at Edward. Anger flashed in his eyes. He reached across the table and grabbed hold of my hand, all the while keeping his heated glare on my roommate. "We've still got a few minutes, man." Edward tugged me towards him and I stumbled back into my seat. Jacob scowled at the other hand latched to mine, and I slipped out of Edward's grasp, uncomfortable with the attention it brought. Finally a moment later he calmed down enough to sit on the other side of the table, frown still in place. The three of us sat in a triangle- Edward glaring at Jacob, who returned it full-force, and I stiffly perched on the edge of my seat, ready to bolt.

"This is making me feel _really _awkward right now, so I'm gonna go and use the bathroom." I rose and left, finally able to breathe air that wasn't saturated with tension and angry guy-hormones.

When I came back- freshly splashed with cold water, the situation hadn't quite changed. Edward and Jacob stared irked with each other, neither one willing to relent.

Clearing my throat I said, "C'mon guys, it's time to go." I worried my lip when the two snapped their heads up to me and without a word, got up and led me to our next class.

Edward was no longer our combat trainer, but instead was a student amongst the class. And of course, Ms. Vern chose him and Jacob to duke it out in the ring today.

"No fatal blows, no weapons. Ready?" Our teacher looked intently at the two grown men as they nodded their heads. "Go!" She flagged her arm down and stepped to the side, letting the fight commence.

As soon as Ms. Vern was out of harm's way, the two obviously muscular students charged at each other, barely holding themselves back.

They were nothing but equally matched. Jacob would attack and Edward would block. One would punch and the other would stop the tight fist before it found purchase. It was remarkable, really.

It had me chewing off my lip.

Someone nudged me from the side.

"See what I mean?" I glanced down to see Alice looking smug, with Rosalie watching the duel quietly beside her.

"You said they resembled lost puppies," I reminded. "They look more like a pair of angry wolves." I automatically cast a nervous glance to the fight.

"Yes- angry wolves fighting over their mate. I wouldn't be surprised if they just started peeing all over you." I frowned at this.

Then, rolling my eyes at her ridiculousness, I replied "Whatever," before I went back to watching.

_Crap._

Jacob had Edward in a head lock and was shouting streams of words into his ear.

"I told you not to make any moves!"

"I haven't done _anything_!" Edward choked out. "I haven't done anything because _you're_ always there, hovering over her like a damn, stupid fly!"

This could not be happening.

Edward twisted out of Jacob's cage and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him against the wire perimeter of the ring. His fist rose in the air and he socked Jacob right in the gut. Worried whispers began to fill the room, and my eyes immediately flitted to Ms. Vern. I relaxed when I saw her being pulled off the platform by 3 other guys, watching the violence play out in horror.

Jacob threw a punch up Edward's chin, causing him to stumble backwards before being shoved onto the ground.

"I told you not to mess with her right now!" Jacob launched a punch into his eye.

Edward coughed. "I haven't done anything," he repeated. "We're just _friends_!" He rolled over, just like his words made my stomach roll and flutter.

Was I disappointed or relieved?

Edward pushed a fuming Jacob onto his back and proceeded to hit him several times. Now, the class was yelling for them to stop; a group of brave souls even climbed over the ropes to pull the two _friends_ apart, only to be knocked away by a flying fist.

Ms. Vern was blowing her piercing whistle, all the while threatening their placement in the school. All to no avail.

They were lost to the rest of us; too caught up in their world of male pride and consuming ego.

Edward lifted Jacob up with the lapels of his jacket and flung him across the ring. He started charging towards the slowly reviving body on the floor, and I did the same. Only I charged to him.

I got over the wires, ignoring the shouts of protest from my fellow classmates. I reached out and grabbed Edward on his shoulder, yelling out his name and pulling him towards me.

"Get the hell off!" Without looking back, he swung his arm back forcefully, jabbing me in the stomach and knocking the breath out of my lungs as it pushed me back. I landed painfully on the tips of my elbows, and a sharp stab traveled up and throughout my arms, stinging every nerve leading to my fingertips.

_Ow. _I groaned from the sparking prickles.

"You useless _bastard_!" My head jerked up, alarmed at the loud, resentful voice.

Jacob had recovered from his blow and was now punching Edward with everything he had. Edward didn't even fight back; he just held his arms in front of his body as a protective barrier.

Ignoring the dominating pain shooting up and down my arms and registering in my brain, I shakily got to my feet and rushed over to where the two _wolves_ played.

"Guys, stop!" I shouted from behind Jacob's back. "You're both being stupid." I raised my hand with the intention of pulling my roommate away, but the flashing sting made me drop it. I looked helplessly behind me and was surprised to see Sergeant Reid leading all the students in the class out of the gym.

"Edward, Jacob. C'mon, Sergeant's here!" Edward forced Jacob back, not knowing that I stood right behind him. He staggered heavily into me and I stumbled my way back onto the ground, this time landing on the flat of my palms.

And even though I was furious, I did the only thing that had a chance at diverting their attention for the time being.

Feeling a frustrated tear slip from the corner of my eye, I prayed that my non-existent acting skills would assist me this one time.

"I can't do this anymore!" Both heads snapped away from their feud and up to my miserable face.

_Seriously?_

"If you guys can't quit fighting for at least two minutes, I'm _leaving_ this team, and the dorm. And I will switch all of my classes so I won't have to ever deal with either of you again."

"And both of you will be suspended for disobeying school orders by performing violent and inappropriate acts with ill-intentions. So I suggest you put your hands down and away from each other." I looked up as Sergeant Reid's arm came to rest around my shoulder. He faced the _wolves_ sternly. "Come with me to my office."

* * *

><p>A knock came on my bedroom door and I begrudgingly got out of bed and opened it, flipping on the lights.<p>

Jacob and Edward stood side by side, looking like a pair of abused puppies.

"What," I demanded impatiently.

The two of them peeked up, and the sincerely _sad_ looks in their eyes had me already forgiving their childish behavior.

But just earlier I found out my non-existent acting skills were starting to materialize, so I decided to play around with them a little more.

Smirking on the inside I continued with an exhausted sigh. "What, are you here to push me down again?" I felt a hint of satisfaction when guilt visibly clouded their eyes. _Mwahaha._

"Bella…"  
>I couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "I'm just kidding. But seriously, if you shove me around ever again, I will call upon Jenks' wrath on both your asses. And you won't just make it out with a mere black eye…" I speculated the fresh shiners they were both sporting. "Did you guys get those checked out by Nurse Platt?"<p>

They shook their heads simultaneously. _Of course_, I thought. _There's that male pride and fragile ego._

I raised my brow when Edward suddenly straightened up and looked into my eyes, searching for something I didn't know he'd be able to find.

"Can I talk to you?" His head was inclined in Jacob's direction, asking more for his permission than my own.

Jacob's slight notion up and down with his chin didn't escape my notice. He silently left before punching Edward lightly in the shoulder. _Hmm…_

"So the talk?" Edward urged and gestured into my room.

"Oh. Right-" I opened my door wide enough to let him in.

When his tall body passed me, the familiar cinnamon and sun smell filtered up my nose, my stomach beginning to flutter once more.

I still had yet to decide whether this was a good feeling, or a very bad one.

* * *

><p><strong>uh ohhhh...<strong>

**here comes the talk...**

**But I guess you're just gonna have to wait until the next chapter mwahahaha!**

**Thanks for reading, hope you're having a very nice weekend/day! **

**until then...**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The night was still, quiet.

The sounds of the crickets and owls were tranquil with the calm of the wind and rustle of leaves. Everything seemed to absorb the moon's glow, making the dark world appear angelic despite the raging battle going on, that doesn't quite have a schedule.

It comes, but it never goes. It slows, but it never stops.

The same glow filtered into my cozy room, and right onto the man who was a foreign figure sitting on the edge of the protruding window sill. I could just make out the outline of his tall and fit form, the swift of his darkened hair, and his eyes.

His eyes; those would never change. The sun can rise and fall each day, and his age can reach heights, never retreating; even then the beauty of his eyes will never falter. And even though the world was pitch black, with only the constellations as a guide, the eyes that adorned his face remained a liquid, melting, _warm_ green. I found my breath catching every time he would move his head to look at me, his dark iris' peering into mine. Just like they did now.

I crawled onto the middle of my cushiony full-sized bed, bending my legs at the knees to hug them to my chest, while feeling his lingering gaze travel my small form. I silently cursed myself for wearing my polka-dot fuzzy pajamas and swallowing sweatshirt instead of something more…suitable.

I found it concerning when I didn't feel at ease until the gentle flutters returned to my belly. And when I felt the soft wings of this feeling caress me from the inside, the calm that I longed for settled over me.

His dark eyes cautiously held mine, so deep and hypnotizing in their dark glow.

And then his voice, smooth and alluring, filled my small room. And even though we sat several feet apart, I've never felt closer to him then I did in this moment.

And it kept feeling closer, smaller, and warmer when he got up and took my hands gently in his. I was tempted to pull away, uncomfortable with the subtle tugs of intimacy. But when he kneeled down in front of the bed and stared up at me with his honey-chocolate eyes, innocent with a swirl of lingering fear, I placed my hand more firmly in his waiting palm, feeling lighter when I caught the relieved smile lift his cheeks.

"I'm sorry about earlier…Did I hurt you too badly?" He dragged his hand up my arm and pushed my sweatshirt sleeve up past my elbows.

The wince snuck up on me, too sudden for me to hide. Edward openly grimaced when he spotted the tender bruises dusted over my skin. His fingers barely grazed my sore elbow and I just watched, mesmerized by the diminished pain his gentle touch provided. When the resentful look never left his face, I roughly yanked my sleeve back down and patted his hand comfortingly.

"Don't worry about it. I've had worse," I smiled reassuringly. "So what did you want to talk about?" I asked, curling my arms around my legs.  
>Edward released a sigh. "Just that I'm sorry for following you around all the time. I don't mean to put you in an awkward position, I just-"<p>

"Miss your sister," the memory of his argument with Jacob flooded my mind, and before I knew it, the words had been voiced from my mouth. He paused briefly and stared at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"How did you know that?" His voice was all kinds of suspicion and I bit my lip, a habit of discontent.

"I overheard," I answered, tapping my ear. "Uh- sorry if you didn't want me to know. I won't tell anyone."  
>"No, no. It's ok." He took my hand again, this time tracing swirls and paisley's subconsciously. "You've resurfaced my every protective urge."If it weren't for the small smile on his lips I would have thought he was throwing an accusation. "It sounds so lame, but <em>I can't<em>- can't just watch you volunteer yourself like that again. I can't watch someone die by the hands of one of those _things_. Not again." His voice had grown impossibly bitter. The only thing that kept me so close to him was the unfailingly soothing trail his fingertips left on the skin of my palm. He looked down at our hands, a glare set on his face, slmost as if he was remembering a bitter memory. I didn't want to ask him about the sudden change in tone and potentially spoil the rare moment of _sweet_ he was allowing me.

_That would be for a later conversation._

"You don't own me, Edward," I said seriously.

His eyes flitted over my face tensely. "I know, but- I can't have that happen again. I won't."

"What do you mean by 'again'? You keep saying, 'again, again, again,' but I don't know what that means!"

He closed his eyes, almost impatiently. "I can't think when you're out there on your own. I need to be with you- so I know you're safe, always."

_Woah, laying it on thick there, buddy._

Cue the flutters. But now they were completely unhinged, beating almost as violently as my heart.

Edward must have noticed my sudden shy discomfort, and he smacked his forehead, leaving my hand feeling empty its sudden absence.

"Ah shit- That came out extremely creepy and obsessive."

_I don't mind. _

_Wait- yes, brain, I do quite mind. _

_Flutter. _

I bit my lip

Edward moved from his kneeling position on the floor and onto the bed. The move was so quick that I didn't have time to stop the closing space between us from closing even more.

I may have done so slightly on purpose. _Stupid flutters. _

"You keep reminding me of what happened a long time ago. You're just like her," he mused to himself.

I turned to face him. "Like who?"

"This girl."

My jaw locked at his vague answer. "Girl…"

His eyes glazed over, and I suddenly wished I hadn't pushed him. "Yes. I was…in an accident, and this girl saved my life." His eyes left mine and instead sought for my limp hand that was practically begging for him to take again. He lifted it up and quietly smoothed out my fingers. I could tell this was a painful subject for him to talk about, and part of me wanted to tell him that it was ok and that he could share it with me another time. But the larger and therefore selfish part of me wanted to consume everything about him. I wanted to_ know _him. "She wasn't able to save the rest of my family, though. Including my unborn sister." His head lowered even further and his shoulders hunched inwards. His formed muscles, wrapped up in his tight shirt posed a contradiction to his vulnerable state, and I was _so_ tempted to reach past the six inches of electrifying air between us and hold him in the cage of my arms.

But I couldn't because I didn't know where we stood.

Together or apart?

His head lifted from my shoulder and I felt him take a deep breath. "You remind me of her. Of the girl."

I remained unspeaking, silently encouraging him to continue.

"She came out of nowhere. And just like that," he snapped his fingers, "she had to choose between me and my parents. She chose me, obviously." Edward brushed his hand against mine. "But I _know_. If she had any clue that a baby was growing inside my mother's stomach, she wouldn't have _had_ to stop and think of who to choose. She would've chosen them. And I would've been _okay_ with that." His voice was full of so much regret, his pupils reflecting the same.

Tears pricked in my eyes, and before I could wipe them away, Edward's hands came up and held my face carefully. His thumbs caught each trailing teardrop, a bitter smile on his face.

"And what about now?" I asked quietly, my brown eyes boring into his jade.

"Hmm?" he hummed distractedly. He was still focused on the lingering pool in the corners of my eyes.

"What about _now_?" I repeated. "Are you _okay_ with what she chose?"

It took a minute for my words to sink in his brain. And then, after a moment of giving it thought, a brilliant smile settled on his face. "Yeah. I think I'll be okay." He curled a strand of my loose hair around his finger. I didn't want to be confused anymore. I sucked in a deep breath.

"Was Jacob right? Are you protective of me because you think of me as _more_ than a friend? Do you see me as _more_ than a pseudo little sister?"

_Where do we stand, Edward?_

"Can you possibly _like_ me, Edward Cullen?"

_Together or apart?_

And cue those damned flutters.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this took wayyyyy to long to get up! I've been working on chapter 35 and it's been a bit bumpy. <strong>

**hope you forgive me though; i know this was a short one :( **

**Another one up this week! which basically means im posting one tomorrow . **

**Thanks for sticking around :))))**


End file.
